KUCHING, Feb 28: The State Integrity and Ombudsman Unit has been given the mandate to have oversight, investigate and seek resolution pertaining maladministration, bureaucracy and red tape in the public sector.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the unit is tasked with addressing these matters holistically.
“Hence, I request that all ministries and agencies to give their fullest support and cooperation as well as provide detailed information as required by the State Integrity and Ombudsman Unit,” said Abang Johari, whose speech text was read out by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas during ‘Majlis Amanat Perdana Integriti 2022’ held at a hotel in Sibu, today.
Abang Johari said in general, many people tend to believe that all the ombudsman does is to handle complaints and this view is at best, too simplistic or an old-school notion.
He noted, the ombudsman is rightfully deemed to take the lead in building better public administration and bridging the gap between the public and the government.
Above all, he pointed out, the ombudsman promotes good governance, accountability and transparency through the oversight of government administration and service delivery.
“Since the establishment of ‘Unit Integrity dan Ombudsman Negeri’ (Union) in 2018, I have been monitoring rather closely on how well Union has undertaken its role as the executive ombudsman.
“Thus far, I am pleased with the efforts and pro-active action taken by Union, in particular the function of ombudsman but there is always room for improvement, especially in terms of legislation,” he added. — DayakDaily
