PUTRAJAYA, Jan 20 — The establishment of Ombudsman Malaysia is expected to have a positive impact on strengthening governance and the country’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score, said Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman Tan Sri Ismail Bakar.
In a statement, EAIC said Ismail presented this matter to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, during an audience at Istana Negara here today.
According to the EAIC, Ismail expressed his confidence to His Majesty that a comprehensive mandate and jurisdiction covering all public service agencies was key to ensuring the effectiveness of Ombudsman Malaysia in receiving and resolving complaints, in addition to closing any gaps that could allow for maladministration, misconduct and integrity breaches.
“EAIC is confident that cooperation between oversight bodies such as the Malaysian ombudsman and all enforcement agencies will create a stronger governance ecosystem, enhance public confidence and support the government’s efforts to continuously improve Malaysia’s CPI score,” the statement said.
It said Ismail also suggested investigation findings and recommendations put forth by Ombudsman Malaysia be utilised by disciplinary authorities
“This approach can avoid overlapping investigation processes, save time and resources, and expedite disciplinary action against public officers involved, thereby supporting a more efficient and effective enforcement system,” the statement read.
