Dear Editor, IN line with the Prime Minister’s call to reduce bureaucratic red tape and improve administrative efficiency, all heads of government departments and agencies should monitor the implementation of their clients’ charters to ensure they deliver on their promises.

Introducing the clients’ charter is one thing. Ensuring that they work effectively is another.

It is imperative for all departments and agencies, including local authorities which have adopted the charters, to monitor their implementation.

I wish to suggest that clients’ charters be prominently displayed at service counters of all public authorities to in form the public of the prom ises made and, if not de livered, to whom they can complain and seek redress.

In line with administrative accountability and transparency, departments, agencies and all local authorities should act on public com plaints published in the news papers.

Public complaints which are published in the print media provide useful feedback to the authorities whose responsibility should be to act on these complaints.

Now that the prime minister has decided to emphasise on fighting graft and improving service delivery in the interest of the public, the time has also come for the government to upgrade our Public Com plaints Bureau and set up an ombudsman system to address public grievances against any public authority.

The ombudsman is entrusted to inquire personally into alleged wrongs inflicted on the layman by public authorities.

In the early 70s, Malaysia had considered such a system and had studied the New Zea land ombudsman model with a view towards its implementation.

However it was shelved and in its place the public com plaints bureau was set up.

It is time for us to revisit the ombudsman as a comprehensive institution for our country to deal effectively with aggrieved citizens and the wrongdoings inflicted upon them.

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye

Chairman, Niosh

Source: Malay Mail – April 16, 2008