Low said the critics objected to JITN out of ignorance and without a clear understanding of what it was established to do.

“In time I will clear up all these objections,” he told reporters after launching Human Rights Day 2017 celebration today.

In his opening speech at the celebration, Low said the main task of the department, which began operations last month, would be acting as the catalyst of change.

“There are so many different mindsets in the country, so many different kinds of views from multiple agencies.

“We want to ensure that these agencies do not operate in silos. Instead, we want to work with them to achieve changes that would include various issues faced in the country,” he said.

“JITN will serve as a department in charge of proposing change to the Cabinet,” he said.

Low said the effort could only be carried out with adequate competency and understanding of the issues pertaining to wages, education and victims of human trafficking.

Expertise and technical knowledge were needed by civil servants in order to address these concerns, he added.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had criticised JITN as redundant.

It said the new department would be a waste of public funds as its role could be carried out by existing agencies such as MACC, Integrity Institute of Malaysia, Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.