Whistleblowing is the act of reporting wrongdoing within an organisation, whether it involves misconduct, fraud, abuse of power, or unethical behaviour. It is an important channel for employees to help protect the integrity of the workplace.

It helps the organisation by addressing problems early and preventing reputational damage in the future.

Whistleblowing is a sign of strength. It provides a safeguard that ensures integrity, accountability, and transparency are upheld. These values form the foundation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards and are essential in building trust with employees and stakeholders.

In Malaysia, the significance of whistleblowing has grown in tandem with the country’s evolving corporate landscape. To protect those who speak up, laws such as the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 were introduced. Today however, expectations go beyond compliance - organisations are increasingly called upon to foster a culture where employees and stakeholders feel genuinely safe and supported when raising concerns.

At Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), whistleblowing is recognised as a vital part of the company’s commitment to strong governance. To strengthen this, TNB has established the Whistleblowing Information System (WBIS) - a secure and confidential channel for employees and stakeholders to report serious concerns or suspected malpractice in good faith.

The WBIS ensures that all disclosures are handled with diligence, while safeguarding whistleblowers from retaliation. This reflects TNB’s ongoing dedication to transparency, ethical conduct, and sustainable governance.

How the Process Works

Introduced in 2008, the WBIS is a secure and confidential avenue to raise concerns. It enables both internal staff and external parties to report breaches in company rules or industry standards.

This system applies not only to TNB’s Board of Directors and employees but also to controlled organisations, business associates acting on the company's behalf, and external providers such as suppliers, contractors, consultants, and customers.

Since its launch, the whistleblowing policy has gone through many versions, with the latest released in 2021, refining the process into seven stages to be completed over a period of about five months.

The first level involving the actual whistleblowing takes place over seven days:

1. 1
   Complaint made through various communication channels, including the WBIS, email, toll free or in person to TNB's Integrity Department.
2. 2
   Complaint registered in the system.

Should the complaint have merit, it moves on to:

1. 3
   Complaint reviewed by the Jawatankuasa Penilaian Aduan which meets twice a month.
2. 4
   Investigation to be completed within 35 days.
3. 5
   Case resolution by the Jawatankuasa Penentuan Kes which meets twice a month, which may order further action including more investigation, domestic inquiry or "no further action".
4. 6
   Mediation/Domestic Inquiry depending on the severity of the case.

As part of the WBIS process at the time, the offences covered under the system comprised of 79 acts of misconduct.

In 2024, the process was reviewed and further strengthened as part of TNB's revised Kod Pengurusan Tatatertib TNB, which included:

As part of the improved handling process, the list of acts of misconducts and offences was refined, with a non-exhaustive list showing some of the potential acts. The approach ensures alignment with human governance practices and national security laws, including:

1. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009
2. Penal Code (Act 574)
3. Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022
4. Dangerous Drugs Act 1952

Offences handled by the Integrity Department (16 types), such as:

Offences/ Misconduct handled by Divisions/Departments (37 types), such as:

The above list of offences overseen by individual divisions or departments may become directly handled by TNB's Integrity Department, depending on the severity of a potential offence.

Strengthening TNB's Responsible Business Practices through Effective Whistleblowing

TNB's Whistleblowing Policy reflects the company’s commitment to integrity, accountability, transparency and corporate governance.

With a structured, secure, and confidential process, TNB ensures that every concern is treated with seriousness and fairness, ultimately to the betterment of the company.

Over the years, the system has been refined into a robust framework with clear timelines, top management oversight, and collaboration with subsidiaries.

Recognising that governance is a continuous journey, TNB acknowledges that the system will continue to adapt in line with emerging needs and broader ESG objectives. Opportunities for further strengthening are embraced as part of the company’s growth and commitment to long-term sustainability.

With this comprehensive system and continued self-assessments, this ensures that TNB retains its reputation and positions itself as a benchmark for corporate responsibility while powering the nation amid its energy transition goals.

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