KUCHING: The Sarawak Ombudsman (SO) has secured a commitment from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) of the United Kingdom for training assistance in complaint handling aimed at enhancing operational capacity and investigative competencies.
The agreement was conveyed to Deputy Minister in the Department of the Premier of Sarawak (Integrity and Ombudsman), Datuk Murshid Diraja Dr Juanda Jaya, by Callum Boyd, policy and public affairs manager at the PHSO, during a high-level visit to the PHSO’s London office on Oct 29.
“We identified many similarities between our organizations, and it is heartening that the PHSO is willing to extend its training modules to us, some of which can be delivered online,” said Juanda.
“This support will greatly aid our capacity building and competency development.”
During the visit, Boyd and his colleagues provided in-depth briefings on the PHSO’s operations, investigative processes, and other key aspects of its work.
The PHSO, an independent body reporting directly to Parliament, investigates complaints related to the National Health Service (NHS) and other government departments.
Established in 1973 building on the Parliamentary Ombudsman role since 1967 it has over 50 years of experience in upholding accountability and fairness in public services.
The Sarawak delegation also extended its engagements to King’s College London and the University of Oxford, where members explored broader societal perspectives on the ombudsman’s evolving role in public administration and building public trust.
At King’s College London, Professor Joe Tomlinson, professor of Administrative Law, presented research findings on the ombudsman landscape across European countries, highlighting trends in administrative fairness and dispute resolution.
At Oxford, Professor Naomi Creutzfeldt, professor of Law and Society at the University of Kent and Associate Fellow at Oxford’s Faculty of Law, shared insights on the challenges facing ombudsman institutions and strategies for managing public expectations.
“It was a privilege to hear from these distinguished professors,” said chief ombudsman Dato Sri Abdul Ghafur Shariff.
“Their macro and societal perspectives on redressing public grievances will prove invaluable as we carry out our mandate.”
