Malaysia tops global open data ranking through OpenDOSM NextGen app
Launched by the Statistics Department of Malaysia (DOSM) in 2023, the platform helped Malaysia outperform 198 countries with an overall score of 90 and an exceptional data openness score of 99.
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin (pic) said Odin is an important benchmark as it provides a comprehensive overview of how well a country makes its data open and accessible to all.
Malaysia also made history by climbing to the top of the Odin ranking, a significant jump from 67th place in the 2022/2023 assessment.
"OpenDOSM, which currently hosts 645 datasets, allows anyone, including the public, to access information at their fingertips. In addition to economic data, we also provide social, environmental, and detailed data from parliamentary to state assembly levels, indirectly assisting the government in planning more targeted development and economic projects," Mohd Uzir said in a special interview.
He said the OpenDOSM initiative has successfully bridged the information gap between policymakers and the public.
By offering an accessible and user-friendly data platform, OpenDOSM strengthens the ability of policymakers and researchers to make evidence-based decisions.
"The platform's recognition has extended beyond Malaysia's borders. Countries like Qatar have shown interest in our approach, and I have been invited to share our experience and best practices in implementing OpenDOSM," he said.
Asked about the factors contributing to Malaysia's success in the latest Odin assessment, Mohd Uzir credited the commitment and passion of DOSM personnel in promoting public awareness and data literacy. This, he said, led to strategic reforms focused on improving data coverage and openness.
"A special task force was established to address identified gaps, with particular attention given to gender-based data and district-level statistics," he said.
He added that the newly announced assessment methodology by Open Data Watch (ODW) for Odin 2024/25 also spurred DOSM to prioritise the publication of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-related data, as it is a key component in the scoring system.
To sustain Malaysia's performance in future assessments, Mohd Uzir said DOSM has implemented an Odin Self-Assessment Dashboard to monitor real-time progress on data coverage and openness.
Among the key enhancements to OpenDOSM is the integration of the Advanced Release Calendar (ARC), synchronised with DOSM's official portal, to help users access the latest information on DOSM publications.
Additionally, OpenDOSM now offers an email subscription feature that notifies users when new datasets are published.
"DOSM remains committed to strengthening Malaysia's open data agenda to ensure continued relevance at both national and global levels," he said.
The Odin report, published biennially, evaluates the openness and coverage of official national statistics based on the availability of key indicators, disaggregation by time and geography, and accessibility in machine-readable formats.
Odin aims to promote transparency, accountability, and evidence-based development through the use of high-quality data. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Unesco without the US
'CONTINUED involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is not in the national interest of the United States,' announced State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce recently. The announcement should not come as a surprise. America had exited Unesco during Donald Trump's first presidency (and even earlier), before the decision was reversed under the Joe Biden administration. The latest move echoes Trump's lack of faith in multilateral organisations and soft power in general. The UN cultural and education body has been accused by the Trump administration of promoting 'divisive social and cultural causes' besides having an 'outsized focus' on the SDGs (UN's Sustainable Development Goals), which Bruce described as 'a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy'. Unesco's mandate includes safeguarding selected heritage sites as diverse as the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the newly added Xixia Imperial Tombs in China. With regard to the last country, the US departure from yet another UN agency spells opportunity for its biggest rival. Commenting on Trump's latest move, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said: 'It's the third US withdrawal from Unesco and the country hasn't paid arrears for a long time. This is not what a major country should do.' Although America's contribution to Unesco's budget is 8%, its arrears are, in fact, in the millions. Since withdrawing and then rejoining the organisation is a recurrent event, Unesco says it has made arrangements to make up for the shortfall, so that the agency can keep doing its work. According to Unesco's director- general, 'The decreasing trend in the financial contribution of the US has been offset.' In fact, it has been pointed out that donations from private parties have doubled since 2018. Contributions to Unesco by member states perhaps best reveals what soft power is and what it can do. The level of sway over built and natural heritage that Unesco is mandated to safeguard helps countries push state versions of history to dominate the global narrative. It would come as no surprise if China, an ascendant power, would want to exert its influence from this platform of soft power to promote its own worldview in the aftermath of the US exit. In being part of Unesco, countries look beyond the preservation of their heritage. A recent report in The New York Times has emphasised, for instance, how China 'has also lobbied heavily for World Heritage designations and is jockeying to surpass Italy as the country with the most culturally significant sites'. The same NYT report also raises other questions. For instance, it says that the Chinese authorities in Lhasa erected two Chinese-style pavilions at a palace complex – a World Heritage Site of spiritual importance to followers of the Dalai Lama. It points out that countries have to inform Unesco before carrying out changes at such sites, which was not done in this case. Reportedly, other sites in the process of being designated are in embattled places like Xinjiang, where many locals fear that the push towards tourism will diminish their religious and cultural heritage by commercialising the sites. As the US scales back its presence in multilateral institutions, the latter, including the UN, are being transformed. Ascendant economies will see this as an opportunity for furthering their interests and staffing vacant positions with their own nationals. In Unesco's case, it raises an interesting question: will the idea of 'mainstream' history and the narratives that accompany it be similarly transformed to be less white and Western? In fact, a pessimistic outlook would suggest that the names and labels of multilateral organisations are up for sale. If this is so, then any legitimacy conferred by control or designations of organisations like Unesco is likely to be short-lived. The world is increasingly aware that the post-World War II liberal order from which these organisations emerged is a thing of the past. It's an open question as to what happens to the trappings of that order, the organisations, the treaties, the agreements that have been left behind. Those that need to believe in them still do, but many now and even more in ensuing generations will know that the order of the past is done and that we all await the establishment of a new order. In the meantime, it is perhaps the human condition to continue to make guesses as to what of our present lives will remain and what will be gone forever. — Dawn/Asia News Network Rafia Zakaria is an attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.
The Sun
31-07-2025
- The Sun
Malaysia's ageing population rises with 12 states now classified as elderly
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's ageing trend continues to accelerate, with 12 states now classified as ageing, according to the latest data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin confirmed that a state is considered ageing when individuals aged 65 and above exceed seven per cent of its total population. Melaka leads with an ageing rate of 7.3 per cent, followed by Pahang and Kuala Lumpur at 7.1 per cent each. 'Perak remains the state with the highest elderly population at 10.3 per cent,' Mohd Uzir said. Five states outpaced the national growth rate of 0.5 per cent, including Terengganu (1.2 per cent), Kelantan (one per cent), and Pahang, Selangor, and Melaka (0.6 per cent each). Malaysia's total population in 2025 is estimated at 34.2 million, a marginal increase from 34.1 million in 2024. The citizen population grew slightly to 30.9 million, while non-citizens saw a sharp decline in growth from 13.6 per cent to -0.5 per cent. The elderly population (65+) rose to eight per cent, while the youth demographic (0-14 years) dropped to 21.6 per cent. Selangor remains the most populous state (21.6 per cent), followed by Johor (12.3 per cent) and Sabah (11 per cent). Labuan and Putrajaya recorded the lowest population percentages at 0.3 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively. Demographic shifts also show Bumiputera representation rising to 70.5 per cent, while Chinese and Indian populations saw slight declines. The male population (18 million) continues to outnumber females (16.3 million), with Kuala Lumpur having the highest sex ratio (117 males per 100 females). Population density increased slightly to 104 persons per square kilometre, with Kuala Lumpur being the most densely populated (8,546 persons/sq km) and Sarawak the least (20 persons/sq km). Projections indicate Malaysia's population will peak at 42.38 million by 2059 before declining. - Bernama
Barnama
31-07-2025
- Barnama
Malaysia Records 12 Ageing States In 2025 As Elderly Population Rises
PUTRAJAYA, July 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's ageing trend continues, with 12 states now categorised as ageing, according to the Current Population Estimates Malaysia 2025 released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) today. Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said a state is considered to have reached ageing status when individuals aged 65 and above comprise more than seven per cent of its total population. Melaka has reached an ageing population rate of 7.3 per cent, while both Pahang and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur recorded 7.1 per cent each, he said. 'Perak remains as the leading state with the highest percentage of elderly population at 10.3 per cent,' he said in a statement here today. He also said that five states outpaced the national growth rate of 0.5 per cent, namely Terengganu at 1.2 per cent, Kelantan (one per cent), and Pahang, Selangor and Melaka each at 0.6 per cent. 'The three states with the highest population percentage in 2025 are Selangor with 21.6 per cent, followed by Johor (12.3 per cent and Sabah (11 per cent). On the opposite end, the Federal Territories of Labuan and Putrajaya recorded the lowest population percentage at 0.3 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively,' he added. Mohd Uzir said Malaysia's total population in 2025 is estimated at 34.2 million as compared to 34.1 million in 2024 with a growth rate of 0.5 per cent. He said the population of citizens increased from 30.7 million in 2024 to 30.9 million in 2025 with the growth rate lowering from 0.7 per cent to 0.6 per cent, and in contrast, the non-citizen population recorded a sharp decline in growth from 13.6 per cent in 2024 to -0.5 per cent last year. He said the percentage of the population aged 65 years and over increased from 7.6 per cent to eight per cent over the same period, while the young age group aged 0–14 years declined from 22.2 per cent to 21.6 per cent.
