Topic: Ombudsman Bill
Related news: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/591770
Coverage by: Malaysiakini
The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) has welcomed Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s recent announcement on the progress of the Ombudsman Bill.
C4 in a statement said the legislation must be immediately established in Malaysia to address maladministration, enhance integrity and governance in public complaints matters.
“The need for an ombudsman is long overdue seeing as the severity of corruption in the country has reached the extent of becoming a top public injustice to the detriment of the nation.
“The Malaysian people will no longer bat an eye to condone such immorality being carried out under their noses,” said the group.
C4 said it had called for the setting up of a Public Ombudsman Office since the time of the Pakatan Harapan administration and will continue to offer its expertise in any public consultation with the current government.
The group laid out five recommendations, including on independence of the ombudsman with its members to be determined by a Parliamentary Select Committee.
C4 also said jurisdiction and powers of the ombudsman, as well as wrongdoings and its punitive actions, must be detailed under a specific Act.
“Findings of investigations (especially those involving public interest) must be made public.
“Mechanism for the preparation of budget allocations for Ombudsman Malaysia, must also be done via Parliament,” said the group.
“We believe that the Ombudsman Office, if operationalised well, will greatly assist other investigative institutions to function more efficiently.
“Therefore, we urge for the bill to pass through the legislature without further delay,” the group further said.
Ismail Sabri in a written parliamentary reply said the government is in the final stage of drafting the bill and would bring it to the cabinet latest by the end of this year, before tabling it in next year.
Ombudsman Malaysia is an impartial independent body to solve public complaints against government agencies, first approved by the then Harapan cabinet in 2019 as part of its reform initiatives.
