TOP SPOT IN ODIN 2024/25 ASSESSMENT: PROOF THAT GOVT'S REFORM MEASURES EFFECTIVE - FAHMI

PUTRAJAYA, April 30 (Bernama) -- The global recognition Malaysia received when it clinched the top spot in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) 2024/25 assessment proves that several reform measures brought by the government in data management have borne fruit.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the MADANI Government spokesman, said the Cabinet, however, noted that there is still room for improvement after scrutinising the report from ODIN.

"The ODIN assessment shows that there are two aspects reviewed, namely coverage and openness. From the assessment, there are several sectors, such as health outcomes, food security and nutrition, that we need to work on in terms of coverage.

"Although we achieved the top spot which, to me, is a recognition of the efforts of the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), in particular, other ministries are also recommended to scrutinise this report and see how each can better manage data in the future,” he said at the weekly press conference here today.

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, in a statement yesterday, was reported to have said that Malaysia made history by clinching the top spot in the ODIN 2024/25 assessment, surpassing 198 other countries with an overall score of 90 and an exception 99 in data openness.

He said the official report, released by Open Data Watch, marked a significant leap for Malaysia, which was previously ranked 67th in the 2022/23 assessment, adding that the achievement was a clear testament to Malaysia’s ability to strengthen its official statistics system and compete on the global stage.

Mohd Uzir also said that the ODIN assessment not only promoted best practices in the country’s data governance but also reinforced Malaysia’s global standing in terms of more granular data availability, transparency, and the use of open data.

He added that the recognition achieved in the ODIN 2024/25 assessment also highlighted DOSM’s ongoing commitment to developing an inclusive, fact-based data ecosystem and driving sustainable development, in line with the aspirations of Malaysia MADANI and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The ODIN assessment report, released biennially, focuses on the openness and coverage of a country’s official data, assessed through the availability of key indicators, temporal and geographical disaggregation, and the ease of access to data in machine-readable formats.

-- BERNAMA