Latest news with #JDN
The Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Data digitalisation policy expected to be introduced next month
PUTRAJAYA: The Digital Ministry will introduce a Data Digitalisation Policy next month to support the enforcement of the Data Sharing Act 2025 (Act 864). Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the policy, developed by the National Digital Department (JDN), will focus on enhancing data quality governance, data security, digital ethics, data storage and usage technologies, and promoting a digital culture in government administration and public service delivery. 'This is important because in order to succeed in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), we must ensure the data we use is in digital form, (but) many government datasets still exist in analogue formats such as images, audio, or hybrids,' Gobind told reporters after chairing the first meeting of the National Data Sharing Committee here today. He said he has given JDN a three-month deadline to finalise the policy and hopes to present it to the Cabinet by July. The minister said the policy will be implemented not only at the federal level but also extended to state governments and local authorities, to ensure consistent data quality for effective policymaking and delivery of public benefits. 'Full digitalisation of government data will allow for better data sharing and analysis using AI, leading to more innovative and realistic cross-sector solutions,' he remarked. Gobind said that the Data Sharing Act 2025, which officially came into force on April 28, provides a structured legal framework for secure and efficient data sharing between federal ministries and agencies, which is expected to enhance public service delivery by allowing real-time data access, accelerating decision-making, and improving coordination without compromising government data security or personal privacy. 'This will lead to a more connected and data-driven government that benefits the people, safeguards their welfare, and drives economic growth,' he said. In fact, he said data sharing between agencies can also eliminate redundancy in data collection, reduce costs, improve public service efficiency, and strengthen public trust through transparency and accountability. 'Shared data ensures policies are planned and implemented based on accurate and up-to-date information,' Gobind said. The minister also expressed hope that state governments would introduce their own data sharing laws to enable effective integration with federal and local government systems. So far, he said the state governments of Penang, Selangor, and Sarawak have responded positively to the proposal. 'I will be visiting each state to discuss the matter directly with chief ministers and menteris besar,' he said. In his remark at the meeting earlier, Gobind said the National Data Sharing Committee, established under the Data Sharing Act 2025, is tasked with setting policy and strategic direction for public sector data sharing. 'We acknowledge the legal and technical challenges in data sharing between public agencies, states, and local authorities. Therefore, it is hoped that this committee will be able to streamline and facilitate secure inter-agency data sharing,' he said.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nonprofits sue Trump administration for freezing foreign aid
A liberal-leaning advocacy group filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration Monday seeking to halt the freeze on foreign aid the administration has imposed. The group, Public Citizen, argues the freeze on funds appropriated by Congress is unlawful and is endangering lives abroad. 'When programs like the ones run by our clients are abruptly shuttered, the impacts are felt throughout the world — with the most vulnerable people bearing the deadliest impact,' Public Citizen attorney Lauren Bateman, the lead lawyer on the case, said in a statement. The Trump administration's sudden halt on U.S. foreign aid last month caused chaos and confusion inside groups providing a range of assistance to other countries, from providing health care to removing land mines. The funding freeze led to mass layoffs at contractors who work for the government, as well as grantees. They warned the freeze would decimate the firms that carry out the work and significantly hamper the government's ability to deliver foreign aid in the future. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the freeze was necessary to review U.S. foreign aid spending and ensure that it aligns with President Donald Trump's 'America First' foreign policy. The administration has pointed to grants and contracts it says don't meet that definition and, in the administration's view, seek to advance progressive causes, like LGBTQ+ rights. But global health and development advocates warned that the sudden stop to existing grants and contracts was unnecessary and cruel and would make the U.S. look unreliable, potentially leading countries that benefit from American foreign aid to turn to U.S. rivals like China. Public Citizen filed the lawsuit in federal district court in Washington on behalf of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, or AVAC, and the Journalism Development Network, or JDN. AVAC is a New York-based nonprofit which received a grant from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, better known as PEPFAR, to support biomedical HIV prevention research in Africa. JDN received grants from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to help foreign journalists do their work. Both organizations have been unable to access grant funding since the freeze, Public Citizen wrote in its complaint. AVAC has laid off 7 of its 46 employees, while JDN has laid off a fifth of its staff, according to the complaint.
