Malaysian Ombudsman Expected To Strengthen Governance, Boost CPI Score - EAIC Chairman

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the Malaysian Ombudsman is expected to have a positive impact on strengthening governance as well as supporting an improvement in the country’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score, according to Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar.

In a statement, the EAIC said the matter was presented by Ismail 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 the Malaysian Ombudsman 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 that Ismail also suggested that investigation findings and recommendations put forward by the Malaysian Ombudsman in the future be utilised by the Disciplinary Authority (PBT).

“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 added.

-- BERNAMA