PUTRAJAYA: The Attorney-General’s Chambers is considering increasing the punishment for those who leak official secrets.

In an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily, Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali (pic) said the cases of leaking of official secrets had increased and the media always reported quoting sources.

He said the AGC was looking into amending the Official Secrets Act 1972 to punish those who leak secrets, including civil servants, the public and media practitioners who refused to disclose their sources.

He said the punishment being looked at was life imprisonment and 10 strokes of the rotan.

“In some countries, the leaking of official secrets is a very serious offence. For instance, it carries the death sentence in China,” he said.

Mohamed Apandi stressed that journalists, who invoked journalistic ethics to protect their sources, could be considered as collaborating with a potential saboteur.

“We may charge journalists who refuse to reveal their sources.

“I am not joking. If I obtain 90% of evidence, I will charge the journalist, editor, assistant editor and editor-in-chief. I am serious, no kidding. We have too many leakages of secrets cases in Malaysia.

“The right to know is not granted by the constitution,” Mohamed Apandi said, adding that the leaking of official secrets would danger the safety of the country.

He added that the Government would be toppled if official secrets were leaked.-Thestar