“The Ombudsman model will be benchmarked against those in other countries,” he said in an interview recently. He stressed that the establishment of an Ombudsman is crucial to strengthen oversight and address systemic weaknesses in enforcement agencies, owing to limitations under the current legal framework that restrict the commission’s effectiveness. “One of the key obstacles lies within our own legal framework under the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) Act, which limits our authority. “While we can make recommendations, enforcement agencies are not obligated to act on them and this affects the effectiveness of our decisions,” Ismail said. Although there have been some improvements following EAIC recommendations, Ismail acknowledged that the overall level of integrity remains unsatisfactory.

Source: The Star April 01, 2026 12:27 UTC