Malaysia clinching the top spot in the Open Data Inventory (Odin) 2024/25 assessment proves that government reforms have borne fruit, said Fahmi Fadzil.

The communications minister and government spokesperson said, however, the cabinet noted there is room for improvement after scrutinising the Odin report.

“The Odin assessment shows 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 in Putrajaya today.

Chief Statistician Uzir Mahidin, in a statement yesterday, reportedly said 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 exceptional 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.

Chief Statistician Uzir Mahidin

Uzir also said 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 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

Malaysia tops open data ranking, surpasses 198 countries

Malaysia tops open data ranking, surpasses 198 countries

Studies: M'sia behind neighbours in open data

Studies: M'sia behind neighbours in open data