Lam Thye: Ombudsman, IPCMC the way forward
KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s decision to set up the Ombudsman Malaysia and Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is a progressive move for the nation, said Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) senior vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
Lee said it was time to address public grievances against any public authority in line with the new government’s emphasis on improving service delivery and fighting corruption.
“I hope more effort could be made to reduce red tape and improve administrative efficiency in government departments and agencies,” he said here yesterday.
On Friday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced that the cabinet had agreed to convert the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) into IPCMC and the Public Complaints Bureau into Ombudsman Malaysia to ensure a more effective management of public complaints against enforcement authorities and government departments and agencies in Malaysia.
“I am happy that the past proposals are bearing fruits as we need the Ombudsman and IPCMC, which I have advocated for many years.
“These reforms will improve the country’s image as complaints will be handled by an independent body,” he said, adding that almost all developed countries had an ombudsman.