INJUSTICES committed by public officers exist in all societies. It is a fact of life and Singapore is no exception.
Ms Grace Morgan's suggestion to rely on the "strong public service ethos" to combat injustice is idealistic but not practical ("Ombudsman unnecessary in S'pore"; Tuesday).
Not all injustices are criminal or corruption cases under the purview of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. The cause could be negligence on the part of public officers.
Currently, the victims' only recourse is to report such cases to the supervisors of the errant officers. But there is no guarantee that impartiality will be exercised by the supervisors in their investigations of their colleagues and departments.
The rationale for having an ombudsman is to ensure independence, fairness and transparency in the investigation of complaints against public officers.
We can study the ombudsman systems in other countries and develop our own that is empowered to effectively render justice to our citizens.
Robert Tang Hin Ching
Ms Grace Morgan's suggestion to rely on the "strong public service ethos" to combat injustice is idealistic but not practical ("Ombudsman unnecessary in S'pore"; Tuesday).
Not all injustices are criminal or corruption cases under the purview of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. The cause could be negligence on the part of public officers.
Currently, the victims' only recourse is to report such cases to the supervisors of the errant officers. But there is no guarantee that impartiality will be exercised by the supervisors in their investigations of their colleagues and departments.
The rationale for having an ombudsman is to ensure independence, fairness and transparency in the investigation of complaints against public officers.
We can study the ombudsman systems in other countries and develop our own that is empowered to effectively render justice to our citizens.
Robert Tang Hin Ching
