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THE Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) Bill, which deals with complaints of misconduct by enforcement officers from 21 agencies including the police, paves the way for the country to establish an ombudsman system, the House was told.

Tabling the Bill for second reading, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the setting up of an integrity commission would be an effective way to ensure procedures, rules and regulations would be adhered to by all enforcement agencies.

The Bill, Nazri said, was drafted based on recommendations by the Royal Police Commission.

“The rakyat’s wish to have an ombudsman system would be established. This will ensure enforcement officers will not abuse their powers and they will know the limits of their jurisdiction,” he said.

Nazri said the EAIC would receive complaints from the public against enforcement officers and conduct investigations into the complaints.

“The commission will also conduct public hearings in a bid to reflect transparency and restore public confidence in enforcement agencies and police,” he said, adding that the findings of the commission would be made public.

Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was present in the Dewan to listen to Nazri’s speech on the Bill, which was the last reform the former prime minister had promised to deliver before he stepped down several months ago.

The Bills on his two other reform measures – the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Bill – had gone through earlier.

The EAIC Bill was only tabled for first reading and taken off the Order Paper list in March because it needed another look.

The Bill originated from recommendations by the Independent Police Complaint and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) in 2005.

The IPCMC was proposed by the Royal Commission on Police Reform, which called for a single agency to handle complaints against the police.

A Special Complaints Commission Bill was tabled in 2007 but was withdrawn later after receiving much criticism. The EAIC Bill was tabled in March to replace the Special Complaints Commission Bill.