KUALA LUMPUR: The federal government has expressed support for Sarawak’s move to implement an Ombudsman law, describing it as a model that should be adopted nationwide.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said Sarawak’s initiative reflected good governance and transparency.
“I believe what Sarawak has done should be followed by all state assemblies across the country,” he said during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today (Sept 9) according to a TVS report.
Kulasegaran was responding to Senator Pele Peter Tinggom, who had proposed that the federal government emulate Sarawak’s best practices to enhance transparency in government agencies.
He added that developed nations such as Sweden and Finland provided benchmarks for Malaysia in shaping its Ombudsman Bill, including provisions for presenting reports directly to Parliament to ensure accountability.
“The draft policy framework for Malaysia’s Ombudsman is now being finalised and will be presented to the Cabinet for consideration,” he said, adding that the bill is expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat later this year or early next year.
According to him, the establishment of a Malaysian Ombudsman reflects the Madani government’s commitment to strengthening integrity, transparency, and accountability in public governance.
