Whistleblowing Policy
1. Introduction
The Capital Post is committed to responsible, ethical, independent, and public-interest journalism. This Whistleblowing Policy establishes the framework for receiving, reviewing, investigating, and where appropriate, publishing information relating to misconduct, corruption, abuse of power, criminal activity, public interest concerns, unethical conduct, regulatory breaches, or matters affecting the welfare and rights of the public.
This policy is developed in alignment with applicable Malaysian laws, including but not limited to:
- The Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 (Act 711)
- The Defamation Act 1957
- The Communications and Multimedia Act 1998
- The Penal Code of Malaysia
- Applicable principles of Malaysian media and civil law
The Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 provides certain protections for whistleblowers acting in good faith, including confidentiality and protection against detrimental action.
2. Purpose of this Policy
The purpose of this policy is to:
- Encourage individuals to report genuine concerns in good faith;
- Protect whistleblowers from unnecessary exposure where reasonably practicable;
- Ensure information received is handled professionally and responsibly;
- Preserve the editorial independence and publishing rights of The Capital Post;
- Protect The Capital Post against malicious, false, defamatory, fabricated, politically motivated, or unlawful submissions.
3. Scope of Disclosure
This policy applies to disclosures involving, but not limited to:
- Corruption or abuse of power;
- Fraud, financial misconduct, or embezzlement;
- Misuse of public funds;
- Regulatory violations;
- Public safety concerns;
- Environmental violations;
- Human rights or labour abuses;
- Criminal conduct;
- Corporate misconduct;
- Governmental or institutional wrongdoing;
- Matters of legitimate public interest.
4. Submission of Whistleblowing Information
All whistleblowing disclosures must be submitted to:
Whistleblowing Email: whistle@capitalpost.com.my
Whistleblowers are encouraged to provide:
- Full details of the allegation;
- Supporting documents, photographs, recordings, or evidence where available;
- Dates, names, locations, and relevant facts;
- Contact information (optional).
Anonymous disclosures may be accepted; however, The Capital Post reserves the right to determine the credibility, reliability, and publishability of any anonymous information.
5. Confidentiality and Protection of Whistleblowers
The Capital Post shall take reasonable steps to maintain the confidentiality of whistleblowers acting in good faith.
Unless required by law, court order, enforcement agency, or regulatory authority, The Capital Post will not intentionally disclose the identity of a whistleblower without consent.
However, whistleblowers acknowledge and understand that:
- Absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in all circumstances;
- Digital communications may carry cybersecurity or tracing risks;
- Legal or regulatory obligations may require disclosure to authorities.
Whistleblowers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice where necessary.
6. Good Faith Requirement
-Advertisement-
All disclosures must be made honestly, responsibly, and in good faith.
The Capital Post reserves the right to reject, remove, disregard, archive, or report any submission that:
- Is knowingly false or misleading;
- Contains fabricated evidence;
- Is malicious or defamatory;
- Is intended to harass, threaten, blackmail, extort, or damage reputations unfairly;
- Violates Malaysian law;
- Constitutes hate speech, sedition, or unlawful content.
Under Malaysian defamation principles, publication of false statements that damage reputation may expose parties to civil or criminal liability.
7. Editorial Rights and Publishing Discretion
The Capital Post retains full editorial independence and absolute discretion regarding:
- Whether to investigate a submission;
- Whether to contact relevant parties for response;
- Whether to publish, delay, amend, summarise, or withhold publication;
- The format, language, headline, or editorial treatment of any published material.
Submission of information to The Capital Post does not guarantee publication.
The Capital Post reserves the right to conduct verification, fact-checking, legal review, and editorial assessment before publication.
Where appropriate, The Capital Post may share information with relevant enforcement agencies, legal authorities, or regulatory bodies.
8. Limitation of Liability
By submitting information to The Capital Post, the whistleblower acknowledges and agrees that:
- The whistleblower is responsible for the truthfulness and legality of the submitted information;
- The Capital Post acts as a media publisher and public-interest reporting platform;
- The Capital Post shall not be liable for losses arising from inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading submissions made by third parties;
- The Capital Post reserves all legal rights and remedies available under Malaysian law.
9. Legal Compliance
Nothing in this policy shall:
- Limit the rights of The Capital Post under Malaysian law;
- Prevent The Capital Post from complying with court orders, law enforcement requests, or statutory obligations;
- Create any contractual obligation between The Capital Post and the whistleblower.
Whistleblowers should note that protections under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 may be subject to limitations under Malaysian law, particularly where disclosures involve unlawful conduct, bad faith, or disclosures prohibited by written law.
10. Policy Review
The Capital Post reserves the right to amend, update, revise, or modify this policy at any time without prior notice to ensure compliance with Malaysian laws, media standards, and operational requirements.
11. Contact Information
The Capital Post
Pinnacle Kelana Jaya,
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Whistleblowing Email: whistle@capitalpost.com.my
General Editorial Email: editor@capitalpost.com.my
Website:
www.capitalpost.com.my
