The Sun | 21 April 2010, page 6

DEPUTY Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and private investigator P. Balasubramaniam are not considered whistleblowers because they have revealed their identities.

Winding up the debate on the Whistleblowers Protection Bill, he told Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), who raised the issue, the two individuals can seek protection under the Witness Protection Act instead.

“They have told the whole world who they are. Whistleblower protection is for those who we do not know who have given information to the authorities. We will never know the identity. That is the intention of this act,” Liew said.

“You don’t understand the difference between Whistleblowers Protection Act and Witness Protection Act. There is a lot of difference.”

Lim protested and said the meaning of whistleblower, as universally accepted, is “a person who informs on another or makes public disclosure of corruption or wrongdoing”.

“Where does it say we must not know who they are? Is the meaning of whistleblower in this law different from that used by the whole world?” he asked.

Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) said that according to the act itself, whistleblower is defined as one who provides information or discloses an improper conduct.

“There was no mention of the word ‘secret’. I think you yourself are confused,” she told Liew.

Continuing, Liew said Raja Petra and Balasubramaniam were not protected because they have made the disclosure to the media instead of the enforcement authorities.

“This kind of informers do not get protection under this law,” he said. They should not go to the media before giving the information to the authorities.

This is to ensure protection to the accused, who may be facing a baseless allegation, and can also affect the investigation.

The bill was passed.