Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on YouTube
Follow us on TikTok
Whistleblowing Policy
Purpose
NKF is committed to lawful and ethical behaviour in all its activities and requires that the Board of Directors, employees, volunteers and consultants conduct themselves in a manner that complies with all applicable laws, regulations and internal policies. In keeping with this commitment and NKF’s interest in promoting open communication, this Whistle Blowing policy (“the Policy”) aims to provide a means through which employees and members of the public could, in good faith, raise concerns with the assurance that they will be protected from reprisals or victimization.
The Policy is intended to cover serious concerns that could have a negative impact on NKF, or any unethical behavior which is not in line with NKF’s code of ethics, or any unlawful activity, including but not limited to:
- Fraud;
- Theft;
- Bribery;
- Corruption;
- Conflict of interest;
- Financial statement fraud;
- Harassment;
- Unethical behavior or conduct;
- Breach of policy.
Safeguards
Harassment or Victimisation
No employee or general member of the public who in good faith reports a violation of the Policy shall suffer harassment, retaliation or adverse employment consequence.
Confidentiality
All whistle blowing reports will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.
Anonymous Complaints
The Policy encourages employees and general members of the public to put their names to complaints in order to facilitate appropriate follow-up and investigation. Complaints lodged anonymously would, subject to the Policy, be investigated. Consideration will be given to:
a. seriousness of the issue(s) raised;
b. credibility of the concern(s) and
c. likely availability of confirmation for the complaint(s) from attributable source(s).
Malicious Allegations
Malicious allegations by NKF staff will result in appropriate disciplinary action being taken.
Procedure for Reporting
Reporting
If you see or suspect any incident, please make a report promptly at:
Telephone Number : 65062140
Email : whistleblowing@nkfs.org
The following persons shall be notified directly when any reporting is made via the dedicated phone number or email address:
- Board Chairman
- Audit & Risk Committee (“ARC”) Chairman
- Appointed Internal Auditor
Whistleblower is encouraged to leave behind his / her name, email address and contact number within the email or telephone call to facilitate appropriate follow-up and/ or investigation.
If the concern relates to the officers mentioned above, please make report directly to:
Officers concerned | Email directly to |
Board Chairman | ARCChair@nkfs.org |
ARC Chairman | BoardChair@nkfs.org |
Both the Board Chairman and the ARC Chairman | InternalAuditor@nkfs.org |
Timing
The earlier a concern is expressed, the easier it is to take action to address such concern. To ensure the factual accuracy of all complaints so that measures could be taken to mitigate or remedy them, all complaints should be lodged as soon as practicable.
Evidence
Although the complainant is not expected to prove the truth of an allegation, the complainant needs to demonstrate that he or she has a reasonable basis for the concern.
Handling of Complaints
Initial Inquiries
The actions to be taken will depend on the nature of the complaint(s). The Board Chairman and the ARC Chairman shall determine whether an investigation is appropriate and the appropriate follow-up. Some concerns may be resolved through an agreed course of action without the need for investigation. Should an investigation be decided upon, the Board Chairman and the ARC Chairman shall jointly decide to consult other Board and/or ARC members in making this decision, if necessary.
In the event that the Board Chairman or ARC Chairman is implicated, the person shall abstain from any discussion / decision-making. The decision-making parties shall be as follow:
- If the ARC Chairman is implicated, the Board Chairman will make the decision, in consultation with other Board and/or ARC members.
- If the Board Chairman is implicated, the ARC Chairman will make the decision, in consultation with other Board and ARC members.
- If both the Board Chairman and the ARC Chairman are implicated, the appointed Internal Auditor will consult the other Board members to decide on the next course of action.
Investigation
In the event a decision is made to proceed with an investigation, the Internal Auditor appointed by NKF shall proceed with the investigation, unless it is deemed more appropriate for another committee or party to be tasked to oversee the investigation. The committee or party overseeing the investigation shall ensure that it receives a report on each complaint and a follow-up report on actions taken to address it. Where applicable, the Board Chairman and the ARC Chairman should be kept informed of the progress of any investigation and approve any action to be taken upon completion of the investigation at the advice of the ARC members.
Report to Complainant
If the complainant has identified himself or herself, he or she will be given a status report on his or her complaint within four weeks after the complaint was initially made and such report shall include:
a. an acknowledgement of the complaint;
b. an indication on how the matter will be dealt with;
c. related information to the complainant whether initial inquiries have been made;
d. related information to the complainant whether further investigation will be undertaken and, if not, the reasons for that decision; and
e. an estimated turn-around time for a final response should further investigation(s) be undertaken.
Further Information
The amount of contact between the complainant and the body investigating the complaint will depend on the nature of the issue and the clarity of the information initially provided. Further information may be sought from the complainant in order to facilitate investigation and to ensure that all pertinent factors are taken into account in the investigation.
Resolution
Subject to legal constraints, the complainant will receive appropriate report about the outcome of
any investigations.
