OMBUDSMAN MALAYSIA UNDERSCORES MADANI GOVT’S COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING CITIZENS’ RIGHTS, PUBLIC SECTOR INTEGRITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 (Bernama) -- The government will establish Ombudsman Malaysia as a central agency to manage and resolve public complaints, with a broader mandate covering maladministration, misconduct, whistleblower protection and freedom of information.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the matter was among several key decisions reached during the meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee on National Governance (JKKTN) in Putrajaya today.

He said the establishment affirms the MADANI government’s commitment to strengthening citizens’ rights and upholding the integrity of the public sector, adding that the Ombudsman Malaysia Bill is scheduled to be tabled in early 2026.

“Through the JKKTN Meeting Series 8, which I chaired this morning, several important agreements involving policy and legislative reforms were reached to enhance the effectiveness and integrity of government administration and the public service,” he said in a Facebook post.

He said the MADANI government also places emphasis on improving corporate compliance for companies managing public funds to ensure that their social mandates are carried out in accordance with good governance standards and within a more structured legal framework.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said this includes proposals for new legislation to regulate government-owned enterprises, including subsidiaries of statutory bodies.

“These decisions reflect the MADANI government’s firm commitment to driving institutional, policy and legislative reforms holistically, to strengthen public and investor confidence in the transparency of national administration and the quality of the public service,” he said.

-- BERNAMA