By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Dec 12: The Sarawak Ombudsman is poised for a bright future despite being established only a year ago, and it is already serving as a model for a potential federal institution.
In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news, Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman Christian Britten Lundblad commended the institution, noting that recent positive developments reflect the people of Sarawak’s growing trust and engagement with it.
He highlighted that the success of the Ombudsman depends on the public actively reporting misconduct by agencies that fall under its investigative mandate.
“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 told the press after delivering a lecture titled “The Work of the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman and Why Denmark Is the Least Corrupt Country in the World” at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) today.
He also expressed admiration for how a regional Ombudsman can serve as a model for a federal institution.
In anticipation of the Malaysian Ombudsman’s potential approval next year, Christian invited the new Ombudsmen to Copenhagen to explore further collaboration and share best practices for developing the institution in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Unimas Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Ir Dr Siti Noor Linda Taib noted that the Danish delegation’s visit provided students with valuable insights into Denmark’s parliamentary system, which could inspire similar developments in Malaysia and Sarawak.
Also present were Danish Ambassador to Malaysia Kirstine Vangkilde Berner, Sarawak Chief Ombudsman Dato Sri Abdul Ghafur Shariff, Unimas Board of Directors chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Sulong Matjeraie, and other distinguished guests. — DayakDaily
