KUCHING: Sweden’s renowned ombudsman institutions, with over two centuries of established practices, serve as global benchmarks for independent oversight and public accountability.
Among these specialised bodies are the Parliamentary Ombudsmen, the Equality Ombudsman (which combats discrimination), the Ombudsman for Children, the Press Ombudsman, and the Consumer Ombudsman.
On Oct 27, a delegation from the Sarawak Ombudsman (SO), led by Chief Ombudsman of Sarawak, Datuk Seri Abdul Ghafur Shariff, conducted a benchmarking visit to the Equality Ombudsman (DO) in Stockholm.
“Sweden’s mature ombudsman model offers invaluable lessons for strengthening our mandate in Sarawak. This collaboration will empower us to fight. maladministration, promote, enhance and instil the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability in the public service agencies in order to attain good governance in Sarawak,” said Abdul Ghafur.
“The visit aimed to exchange best practices and explore opportunities for enhancing the Ombudsman’s role within the frameworks in Sarawak.”
The delegation received comprehensive briefings from, Deputy of the Swedish Equality Ombudsman on the DO’s legal framework, scope, and operations Samuel Engblom.
The DO, known in Swedish as Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, is an independent government agency operating on behalf of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) and government.
It promotes equal rights and combats discrimination across key areas, including employment, education, healthcare, and public services, covering grounds such as sex, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, and age.
The discussions extended into a fruitful exchange of ideas, where both parties shared insights on operational challenges, investigative processes, and strategies for public awareness and policy advocacy.
