KOTA KINABALU, Oct 20 — Official statistics from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) are critical in ensuring Malaysia’s policies are based on accurate information, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal said.
He said the ministry relies on these statistics to formulate related policies, which are also very useful to researchers at public universities and higher education institutions in producing high-quality scientific research.
“The generation of quality and timely official statistics by DOSM is crucial at the core of policy formation and the national agenda, among others, the Madani Economy, the 12th Malaysia Plan mid-term review, the National Energy Transition Roadmap, and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030.
“The need for specific and granular data can no longer be overlooked to ensure data representation, prevent limited resource wastage, create more targeted and crisis-oriented policies, and enhance the government’s delivery system’s efficiency,” Yusof said today.
He was speaking at the opening of the DOSM Statistics Forum, held in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), as part of the National Statistics Day celebration in Sabah.
UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Kasim Mansor and Sabah DOSM director Muhammad Amri Idris were also in attendance.
The deputy minister said the government has mandated DOSM as the technical coordinator of existing administrative data in developing the Central Database Hub (Padu) for a more equitable distribution of targeted subsidies and to ensure vulnerable groups are not left out.
Padu enables the government to formulate programmes and strategies guided by data and analysis.
Meanwhile, Amri said Sabah DOSM will conduct the 2024 Agricultural Census from July 7 next year onwards, involving over 240,000 households. It covers the crop sector, livestock, fisheries, logging, and forestry.
— Bernama
