In order to highlight the momentum on the possible appointment of an Ombudsman, it may be useful to bring the entire question within some perspective. With respect, this will help focus on specific dimensions, and thereby hopefully make the debate more pointed and meaningful than would otherwise be the case.

1) Objective

This involves the appointment of an Ombudsman to specifically take responsibility in ethnic and race relations with aim of forging national unity and integration through the concerns of the political economy and multi-culturalism.

The objective is to encapsulate a holistic vision in bringing about trends in social changes that have galvanised human behaviour into expressions of unity, the yearning for freedom, for dignity and social justice.

2) Purpose

The purpose is to formulate and implement relevant policies involving macro and micro dimensions of both the external and internal scenarios that impinge on political and economic decisions affecting harmonious ethnic and race relations for political stability.

It is also to understand the meaning of power in striving for progress, law and social justice so that the ideas of democracy, equality, civil rights, cooperation and peace can be forged and sustained.

3) Scope

The emphasis will be based on the premise that an understanding of the diverse historical background of development in Malaysia is itself vital in the conceptualisation of the social issues and problems confronting the nation. It must be understood, therefore, that the roots of nationalism, class formation, race, ethnicity and regionalism are to be found in the Malaysian response to cope with international market forces and technology-driven globalisation.

The dynamic and indeed transformative nature and revolutionary impact of this scenario on the pattern of ethnic and raced relations has been passed over and not incorporated into the knowledge data base. The scope of the Ombudsman will, therefore, attach priority to highlighting this objective.

The scope will also encompass and build a wide and increasingly comprehensive knowledge base. This will draw heavily on new ideas and even ideals where it becomes possible to have a free hand to pick up ‘new things’ and to test and apply them along with new theories.

It is important to mention that the scope will essentially focus on remedies to factors and situations identified as contributory and precipitating respectively in potentially conflict situations. Indeed, there is the dire need to review the vast array of plans and projects with a view to institute reforms.

The government since the inception of the Five year Development Plans from the 1960s has created a wide range of social institutions across the board and throughout the nation, and there has never been any attempt to evaluate their effectiveness in meeting the objectives for which they were created. On the basis of feedback on this question, it can be asserted that something in the region of 75 percent of projects had been either been not completed or were downright failures.

With the 9MP under review and especially with the comprehensive plan for Malaysia to become a developed nation by 2020, it is absolutely imperative that the Ombudsman gives priority to the implementation of reforms for these objectives if they are to be successfully achieved.

4) Methodology

The theoretical frame of reference clearly postulates taking up the issues, problems and questions of ethnic and race relations, in the context of ideas, ideologies and activities within external and internal social institutions.

However the main focus of the methodology must concern implementation. In this, the Ombudsman must function in the context of the proposed National Operations Council. It must be made clear that the council must be an integral and indispensable part of the duties and responsibilities of the Ombudsman so that he will in effect ‘rely’ on the council for advice and guidance at all times.

The composition of the council will be essentially representatives of NGOs drawn from a cross- section of political, economic and religious institutions as was the case in the NOC formed as an aftermath of the May 13 race riots. In addition, consideration must also be given to representation of the armed forces (as was done in the earlier NOC) for purposes of ensuring that approved reforms and projects are implemented without delay.

It is submitted that in the present exercise, representation on the NOC needs to be widened to include the respective chambers of commerce and industry, small and medium enterprises and of groups in Felda, plantation estates, rubber small-holders and oil palm and agricultural producers.

A crucial dimension in the methodology will involve the setting up of a research and development division.