KUALA LUMPUR: The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Centre) has praised the Malaysian government's acceptance of key institutional reform recommendations at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.
These recommendations, among the 348 received during the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, highlight Malaysia's commitment to enhancing human rights and governance.
The acceptance here signals the Malaysian government's support for these recommendations, and that they are either being implemented, or will be implemented during the fourth UPR cycle (2022-2027).
"This marks a substantial advancement in Malaysia's human rights journey.
"The planned Ombudsman office, designed to replace the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB), signifies a strategic move towards more robust institutional oversight.
"The Malaysian government's decision to merge the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) and the Public Complaints Bureau into the Ombudsman office reflects a concerted effort to streamline functions and optimise resource allocation," the statement read.
The C4 Centre, along with the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs in the UPR Process (Comango), has actively engaged with the Malaysian government and other UNHRC member states to advocate for a progressive rights-based approach in Malaysia.
This development follows encouraging announcements by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran in Parliament, on the current status of the Malaysian Ombudsman, which indicate that the reform is at an advanced stage.
"The announcements also suggest that the government is approaching this reform agenda with recognition of opinions and perspectives from civil society and academia.
"C4 Centre is cautiously optimistic that the commitments made on the international stage during the UPR process offer promise for this reform, especially as Malaysia currently sits on the UNHRC."
Meanwhile, the C4 Centre urged the government to continue developing the draft Ombudsman Bill in line with international best practices, with due regard for the importance of autonomy and structural safeguards against executive interference.
"Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that the Ombudsman office is granted adequate resources to function effectively, especially considering that it will be created through the merger of two federal agencies.
"Plus, ongoing engagement with civil society and academics on the development, implementation, and reassessment of key legislation, policies, and reform agendas is essential," it stated.
Previously, the government was considering the merger of PCB and EAIC for the establishment of Ombudsman Malaysia at the Dewan Rakyat on July 3.
Kulasegaran said that the government will establish Ombudsman Malaysia as an independent body to address complaints about the federal public service delivery system.
This will be implemented through a unique model.