Sarawak govt dragging its feet on Ombudsman unit, says DAP
KUCHING : Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen has accused the state government of dragging its feet through prolonged delays and a lack of transparency in presenting a report from the Ombudsman unit.
Chong said the delay created the impression of a lack of political will and a tendency to 'pay lip service' to the principle of integrity and accountability in state administration.
'(Is any) real work being done?' he said in an interview with FMT.
He said transparency was crucial as the chairman of the state's Public Accounts Committee was from the ruling party whereas in Parliament, the chairman was from the opposition.
Chong, who is Stampin MP, said Sarawakians have waited for news about progress on the Ombudsman mechanism, which was supposed to serve as a check and balance on government administration.
In Nov 2023, Sarawak became the first state in Malaysia to have ombudsman law, with the setting up of an ombudsman unit, after the Sarawak Ombudsman Bill 2023 was passed at the State Legislative Assembly.
A year later, Sarawak's deputy integrity and ombudsman minister Juanda Jaya said the Ombudsman unit is only expected to present its first report in the state assembly in 2025.
Juanda was further reported as saying that the Ombudsman Ordinance came into effect in April and the Sarawak chief Ombudsman was appointed in June.
But Chong, who is also the Padungan state assemblyman, said the process has been very slow and there have been no hearings.
Chong said the Ombudsman unit has crucial powers to investigate complaints and oversee the conduct of public officials.
He criticised the government for dragging its feet. The delay was unacceptable, as the state government has ample financial resources, Chong said.
'Sarawak is the richest state in terms of GDP, with RM14 billion in revenue. Yet we see slow action on this front.'
Chong said the state government seemed to be giving the appearance of promoting transparency and accountability. 'There is no genuine oversight of the state administration,' he said.
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