Sarawak ombudsman sets a national example, says Denmark’s watchdog

Christian Lundblad commended the state ombudsman’s growing trust and engagement from Sarawakians despite being formed only a year ago.

Christian Lundblad receiving a memento while visiting Sarawak. He said Sarawakians were willing to lodge complaints when public authorities fail to fulfil their responsibilities. (UKAS Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The office of Sarawak ombudsman has been praised by its Danish counterpart for gaining greater public acceptance and thus setting a good example for the federal government once it establishes Malaysia’s ombudsman next year.

Denmark’s ombudsman, Christian Lundblad, commended the Sarawak ombudsman for establishing growing trust and engagement with the public, despite having been formed only a year ago, Dayak Daily reported.

He said that the regional ombudsman can serve as a model for a federal institution.

“Yesterday, I reviewed the complaints board and noticed many submissions. Just as in Denmark, Sarawakians are also willing to lodge complaints when public authorities fail to fulfil their responsibilities. This demonstrates that the ombudsman can play a pivotal role in building trust within society, and I believe it has a bright future in Sarawak,” he was quoted as saying.

Lundblad also said that the ombudsman’s success depends on the public actively reporting misconduct by agencies within its investigative mandate.

On Tuesday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said a Cabinet committee had agreed on setting up Malaysia’s ombudsman with a broad mandate to strengthen integrity and transparency across the public sector. The ombudsman bill is expected to be tabled in parliament next year.

According to MACC, the ombudsman would cover maladministration, misconduct, whistleblower protection, and freedom of information, all aimed at safeguarding the public’s right to lodge complaints, improving service delivery, and upholding high standards of integrity in the public sector.

Denmark’s ombudsman is elected by parliament for a term that may not exceed 10 years. He is not a member of parliament, but must be a law graduate. He is independent of parliament but submits an annual report to parliament which must be made public. - FMT