ORI and MBPH Muhammadiyah Agree to Establish Sahabat Ombudsman Programme

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia (ORI) and the Student Practical Legal Impact group (MBPH) from the Central Legal and Human Rights Council of Muhammadiyah (MHH PP Muhammadiyah) have agreed to establish the Sahabat Ombudsman programme. During a field study visit by MBPH participants in Jakarta on Thursday (23/4), ORI member Maneger Nasution expressed hope that the programme would serve as a platform for active student participation in overseeing the quality of public services while boosting public literacy on the functions and authority of the Ombudsman RI. “This meeting has resulted in an agreement to develop more concrete cooperation, particularly through the Sahabat Ombudsman initiative involving students,” said Maneger, as quoted from a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Monday. Therefore, he conveyed appreciation for the MBPH visit and emphasised the importance of synergy between state institutions and civil society organisations, including universities, in building a culture of integrity in public services. According to him, collaboration with MBPH is an important step in expanding the reach of education and oversight of public services. The Sahabat Ombudsman is a public participation programme established by the Ombudsman RI to serve as the institution’s “eyes and ears” in monitoring public services. Volunteers will be tasked with detecting and reporting suspected maladministration, as well as increasing public awareness of their rights to quality public services. In addition to the establishment and strengthening of the Sahabat Ombudsman programme with students through MBPH, the meeting also discussed various other strategic cooperation opportunities. The visit was attended by intern students from the Legal and Human Rights Council, including those from Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta (UMY) and the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII). The presence of these students forms a strategic part of efforts to strengthen young people’s understanding of various public service issues and state administration oversight.