Putrajaya: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) will continue working closely with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to identify more effective measures to address maladministration and misconduct, including reviewing several aspects of the EAIC Act 2009 (Act 700). The collaboration aims to strengthen oversight and investigations, with the aim of boosting public confidence in transparent, credible and trustworthy public institutions.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, EAIC chairman Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar emphasized that integrity issues cannot be addressed through enforcement alone but require preventive measures, system improvements, and comprehensive institutional reforms. He acknowledged that NGO input on maladministration and misconduct in the public service, particularly involving enforcement agencies, aids the EAIC in identifying more effective and realistic measures, including efforts to improve Malaysia's position in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

Earlier, Ismail chaired a dialogue on the topic of Governance and Integrity in Putrajaya, attended by representatives from various NGOs, such as the Malaysian Institute of Integrity and Governance, Malaysia Corruption Watch, Rasuah Busters, the Malaysian Coastal Fishermen's Network Education and Welfare Association, and Transparency International Malaysia. During the dialogue, many NGO representatives expressed that the EAIC should be reinforced as the final bastion of public trust in ensuring accountability and integrity within enforcement agencies.

They proposed strengthening government-society engagement through an Open Government Relationship approach, which includes recognizing qualified NGOs as strategic partners in the government's integrity and governance reform agenda. The NGOs also highlighted challenges in implementing integrity initiatives, such as political pressure and agendas that could undermine investigations and enforcement actions, as well as weaknesses in the whistleblower protection system.

Political interference and constraints on institutional independence were noted as factors weakening enforcement effectiveness in upholding integrity. NGO voices will continue to serve as an important reference for the EAIC in supporting transparent and integrity-driven enforcement reforms. NGOs are considered key information providers, conveying real issues on the ground and public challenges that might not be reflected in official data, including misconduct and integrity leakages among enforcement officers, Ismail added.