Sarawak leads in certified integrity officer deployment, says deputy minister

KUCHING (July 16): Sarawak is leading the nation with the highest number of certified integrity officers (CeIOs), with 166 deployed across government departments to bolster transparency and accountability, said Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya.

The Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier Department (Integrity and Ombudsman) added that another 40 integrity officers are currently in the midst of being certified.

Reiterating the Sarawak government’s unwavering commitment to combat corruption and unethical practices, Juanda said the Sarawak Ombudsman Ordinance 2023 has been gazetted and a chief ombudsman has been appointed by the state Cabinet.

“Currently, we are still working out the details related to the operation of the Ombudsman Unit,” he said this in his opening remarks during a “Incorporating Business Integrity, Governance and Corporate Liability in Enterprise” programme for elected representatives held at a local hotel today.

Juanda pointed out that the Sarawak government has formed a special Cabinet committee tasked with examining the annual audited financial statements and budgets of government-linked companies, statutory bodies, and local authorities to ensure accountability in their financial spending.

He also urged the elected representatives to familiarise themselves with Section 17A of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 on corporate liability to avoid running afoul of the laws and promote transparent governance.

He added that violating Section 17A of the MACC Act 2009 will result in a fine of not less than 10 times the value of the bribe or RM1 million, whichever is higher, or imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both.

The programme was organised by Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit in collaboration with Transparency International Malaysia and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.