Ombudsmen Bill expected to be tabled in parliament by year-end

 

A new bill for the establishment of an ombudsman group is expected to be tabled in Parliament before the year-end, says National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) director-general, Abu Kassim Mohamed.

He said the bill, one of the key initiatives under the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) 2019-2023, would be tabled at the next Parliament sitting, expected to be in November or December, and the draft was now at the Attorney-General’s Chambers, to be finalised.

“I may not be able to explain the details of the ombudsman group... but in principle, the federal government has agreed to form it based on the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) 2019-2023, but it will be focusing on the federal government and its agencies.

“That's why I fully recommend that the states should have their own ombudsmen, focusing on the local authorities,” he told reporters after witnessing the launching of the Negeri Sembilan Anti-Corruption Plan 2020-2024, at Wisma Negeri, Seremban, today.

It was officiated by Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun with all the state executive councillors also present.

When launching the plan, Aminuddin said it was a follow-up to the NACP and Negeri Sembilan was the second to draw up an anti-corruption plan at the state level after Sabah which did it last year.

“Implementation of the Negeri Sembilan Anti-Corruption Plan over a period of five years is very significant in portraying the people’s aspiration of seeing a corruption-free state with its people making transparency, accountability and integrity a culture.

“The plan has five focus areas, namely political governance, public administration, public sector procurement, law and the judiciary, and enforcement.

“Under these five focus areas are five strategies with 97 initiatives to be implemented by all the departments and agencies under the state government,” he said, adding that the plan would be a comprehensive source of reference in dealing with the issues of governance, integrity and corruption.

- Bernama