Prishanth Linggaraj, policy and legal research officer at C4, said the EAIC, which deals with misconduct by enforcement officers, plays a role similar to that of the ombudsman.
“Consolidating efforts and resources between the ombudsman and the EAIC could result in a more streamlined and effective oversight infrastructure,” he said at the launch of C4’s report titled “Structuring the Malaysian Ombudsman Office”.
He added that the ombudsman would not have the power to oversee state public services due to the constitutional separation of powers between federal and state governments.
“To optimise efficiency and the utilisation of resources, the ombudsman should not overlap with existing oversight bodies such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, and the Independent Police Conduct Commission,” he added.
The report launched today called for the establishment of an ombudsman to indicate Putrajaya’s commitment to upholding the principles of good governance.
Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of C4, said the recommendations laid out in the report should be incorporated into the ombudsman structure, including allowing the ombudsman to receive disclosures of improper conduct and to confer whistleblower protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010.
“This is in order to ensure that the ombudsman is equipped to carry out its functions in an effective and efficient manner, while conforming with international best practices on the subject,” he said.
He nevertheless emphasised that the ombudsman is not meant to be a “panacea for all of the problems currently plaguing the Malaysian public service”.
“In order for good governance to be upheld within the bureaucracy and for public service delivery to be provided in a just and equitable manner throughout the nation, comprehensive reviews and overhauls of many different institutions must be undertaken, and a shift in the culture of the public service must be promoted.
“It is C4’s hope that the ombudsman will act as a catalyst for these reforms to be identified and implemented,” he said.
Last May, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said her ministry was still fine-tuning the policies for the Ombudsman Bill and engaging the relevant agencies, NGOs and civil societies, after which the bill would be brought to the Cabinet.
She had aimed to table the bill in Parliament in October.