Dili, 28 May 2025 — The Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ) hosted a high-level courtesy visit from a Malaysian government delegation, led by M. Kula Segaran, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), as part of Malaysia’s initiative to learn from international models in preparation for the establishment of its own Ombudsman institution.
The delegation was accompanied by Dato’ Amarjit Sarjit Singh, Ambassador of Malaysia to Timor-Leste, who also participated in the meeting.
Representing PDHJ were Virgílio da Silva Guterres Lamukan, Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice; Rigoberto Monteiro, Deputy Ombudsman for Good Governance; Maria Marília da Costa, Deputy Ombudsman for Human Rights; and other senior officials.
The visit provided an opportunity for the Malaysian delegation to learn about PDHJ’s institutional structure, mandate, and experiences over its 21-year journey. As a hybrid institution combining human rights protection with the promotion of good governance, PDHJ shared insights into its complaint handling mechanisms, oversight processes, and legal framework.
The Ombudsman, Virgílio Guterres, expressed his sincere appreciation to the delegation for including PDHJ in their official program and for their interest in learning from Timor-Leste’s experience. He noted that such exchanges strengthen regional cooperation and reinforce shared commitments to transparency and justice.
Discussions also explored areas of mutual interest, including whistleblower protection, maladministration prevention, and complaint management systems. The Malaysian delegation extended an invitation for PDHJ to participate in the upcoming Ombudsman Conference in Malaysia, which was positively received by the institution.
The meeting reflects growing regional collaboration and underscores PDHJ’s role as a reference point for institutions working to uphold integrity, accountability, and human rights.
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