Kuala lumpur: The proposed establishment of a Malaysian Ombudsman is seen as a step towards ensuring that public complaints regarding government service delivery are handled more effectively, thereby enhancing the quality of public services.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar stated that the Malaysian Ombudsman would serve as a platform for the public to lodge complaints on misconduct, maladministration or weaknesses in government service delivery, while also helping to transform public services to be efficient and responsive to the needs of the people.
'Insya-Allah, the Malaysian Ombudsman will begin operations next year once it is passed by Parliament. At present, it is still at the bill-drafting stage. This is a step towards transforming the public service, especially in enhancing the way we provide the best possible services to the people,' he told reporters after attending the Encouraging, Responsibility, Accountability, Trustworthiness (ERAT) Appreciation Ceremony here tonight.
Previous media reports stated that the proposed Malaysian Ombudsman is expected to serve as the main mechanism to strengthen whistleblower protection, including preventing the disclosure of complainants' identities through a centralised complaints management system under a single agency.
Earlier in his speech, Ismail said the EAIC welcomed the government's decision to establish the Malaysian Ombudsman to handle complaints across all public agencies, describing it as a move that would strengthen the system of checks and balances and enhance the efficiency of government service delivery.
He expressed hope that the establishment of the Malaysian Ombudsman, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim following approval by the Special Cabinet Committee on National Governance in December 2025, would function more effectively than existing monitoring agencies. 'The EAIC welcomes this decision and hopes that the Malaysian Ombudsman will function more effectively than existing monitoring agencies, thereby demonstrating that every ringgit allocated by the government delivers real change,' he said.
Ismail said the experience, expertise, and track record built by the EAIC since 2011 in supervising enforcement agencies would provide a foundation for handling a broader and comprehensive scope of checks and balances under the Malaysian Ombudsman. 'Regardless of the platform or brand it takes, our commitment and working principles will remain unchanged, namely to ensure that our agency's delivery system remains clean, transparent and continues to have the full trust of the people,' he said.
This year's ERAT Appreciation Ceremony saw 21 enforcement agencies under the supervision of the EAIC, as well as 13 media practitioners, receive recognition in appreciation of their respective roles and cooperation with the commission. Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) journalist Samantha Tan was among the recipients of certificates of appreciation presented by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.