Social activist proposes whistleblower incentive programme to tackle malfeasance by govt entities

KUCHING (July 8): A whistleblower incentive programme should be introduced to report misconduct and minimise cases of malfeasance by government entities, said Integrity Institute of Malaysia member Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

Lee, who is a social activist, said such malfeasance by government officials has resulted in losses amounting to billions of ringgit in taxpayers’ funds every year.

“Year in, year out the Auditor-General highlights cases of malfeasance by officials in ministries, departments, agencies and government-linked companies but no action seems to be taken to prevent such occurrences,” he said in a statement.

Lee pointed out that in the latest report, the Auditor-General had made 64 recommendations for implementation by the errant parties but it remains to be seen on whether these rectifying measures will be taken by the responsible parties.

“Has there been an audit of all the previous years’ recommendations to ascertain how many of them have been enforced?

“And are the yearly losses due to poor governance, planning, negligence, oversight, corruption or ineptitude?” he questioned.

Lee said the losses incurred could be better utilised by the government to build low-cost houses for the low-income group or to provide better facilities at hospitals.

“Since traditional checks and balances have failed to produce the desired results, perhaps we should now employ some out-of-the-box solutions for this recurring problem,” he said.

He said a whistleblower incentive programme would offer financial incentives to anyone or insiders who come forward to report misconduct activities.

Besides that, he said advanced data analytics tools can be implemented to detect patterns of fraudulent activities.

“By leveraging predictive modelling, agencies can proactively identify and address potential issues before they escalate.”

Lee said there should also be a policy mandating regular rotations of leadership positions within government agencies to prevent the development of entrenched power structures that might contribute to malfeasance.

“We could establish an Independent Oversight Commission composed of experts from various fields to oversee government operations and provide recommendations for improvement.”

Lee also suggested that the Auditor-General’s report be released half-yearly or even quarterly to ensure remedial action can be taken immediately.

“These unconventional approaches, alongside traditional measures such as stricter enforcement mechanisms, reward and punishment, and enhanced training on ethics and governance, could help break the cycle of malfeasance and foster a culture of accountability within government institutions,” he said.