VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Chair of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Mokhammad Najih (center), received a visit from the Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit (UNIONS) at his office in Jakarta on Tuesday (February 27, 2024). (ANTARA/HO-Ombudsman RI) -

Voinews, Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chair of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Mokhammad Najih, has said that it will boost cooperation in the Southeast Asian region to share experiences with other institutions to expand the functions and tasks of the ombudsman.

He made the statement as Malaysia's Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit (UNIONS) paid a visit to the office of the Indonesian Ombudsman in Jakarta on Tuesday. He emphasized that the visit would play an important role in expanding the scope of regional cooperation.

“Ahead of its 25th anniversary in 2025, the Indonesian Ombudsman wants to expand cooperation in the Southeast Asian region,” he said, according to an official statement released by the Indonesian Ombudsman here on Tuesday.

The delegation of UNIONS, led by Dato' Murshid Diraja Dr. Juanda Jaya, who is also deputy minister in the Premier’s Department of Sarawak (Integrity and Ombudsman), paid a visit to the office of the Indonesian Ombudsman to carry out benchmarking.

In his remarks, Najih welcomed the delegation and gave a brief description of the Indonesian Ombudsman, including its tasks, functions, background, and organizational structure.

“Hopefully, this visit can create good relations going forward between these two institutions,” he said.

Jaya informed that UNIONS sought a deeper understanding of how the Indonesian Ombudsman plays a role in fighting negative situations, especially in relation to public services. The Indonesian Ombudsman has been deemed abenchmark since Indonesia and the Kingdom of Sarawak have similar backgrounds and social conditions, he said.

Another purpose of the UNIONS’ visit was to study and understand the organizational structure and governance of the Ombudsman in Indonesia, according to him. Jaya expressed his appreciation to Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Timor Leste for creating the Southeast Asian Ombudsman Forum (SEAOF). He also said that the Kingdom of Sarawak wants to join the forum and get involved in existing programs//ANTARA-VOI