PETALING JAYA: Sufficient authority and manpower must be given to the person appointed to the government’s planned ombudsman office to be effective, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
Lee, who is a member of the Malaysian Integrity Institute, said this must include a workforce that is both skilled and experienced at identifying the merits of complaints sent to the ombudsman.
“These assistants must be experienced enough to distinguish the credibility and significance of each complaint themselves before bringing it to the attention of the ombudsman.
“This will enable them to better identify the areas that need to be resolved in a ministry or government department,” he told The Star.
He added that the ombudsman must also be given enough authority and power to fully resolve any credible complaints, regardless of which ministry or government department is involved.
Lee said this includes the ombudsman having the authority and power to direct the identified ministry or government department to rectify the issue related to a complaint.
“These powers must be part of any ombudsman law that is passed through Parliament, making it so the ombudsman is given his power by an act of Parliament.
“They should also have the authority to launch their own investigation and take action if they feel the reply or action taken by the government authority is unsatisfactory,” he said.
Lee also recommended that any ombudsman selected should be from the judiciary due to them not only being experienced, but also their independence.
“They are the perfect candidates as they are trained and have practiced impartiality for their entire careers.
“Regardless of who is selected, they must be from an independent authority and Parliament should be given the rights to decide the terms and conditions that a selected ombudsman must have,” he added.
Lee also called on the Prime Minister’s Department to hold consultations with consumer associations and non-governmental organisations for their suggestions and views before drafting any ombudsman law.
He also said such an ombudsman should be tabled in Parliament at least before the end of this year to better serve the people as the current government heads into the last few years of its administration.
“It was promised in the opposition’s manifesto and should be a priority, especially as the Public Complaints Bureau (BPA) has proven to be ineffective due to it mostly serving as a messenger between the government and the people’s grievances,” he said.
This comes after the Prime Minister’s Department legal affairs division (BHEUU), the agency drafting the ombudsman law, told the The Star it is considering the proposal for the ombudsman to take over the functions of BPA and the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission.
BHEUU also said it expects to table the Bill which will establish the Malaysian Ombudsman’s office in Parliament by some time this year.
