PM: Open data portal revamp boosts transparency in public sector

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today said that the revamp of the government’s official Public Sector Open Data portal, data.gov.my, marks the beginning of a new era in strengthening transparency in the public sector.

He said the revamped portal launched by Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali today, is equipped with Malaysia's official Open Application Programming Interface (OpenAPI), analytical dashboards, data catalogues and artificial intelligence (AI).

“The portal’s revamp encompasses various granular and high-frequency data sets openly available, which will undoubtedly drive data-driven innovation in both the public and private sectors,” he said in a statement.

At the same time, he noted that the OpenDOSM portal, open.dosm.gov.my, has also been upgraded as an essential component of the national open data infrastructure.

Anwar also expressed his pride in the success achieved in just four months through the efforts led by the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) together with the GovTech Nucleus Unit.

The prime minister said the revamp of the data.gov.my portal demonstrates that a world-class product can be produced quickly if the government successfully attracts suitable talent to serve in the public sector.

‘Transparency vital in democracy’

He also expressed hope that all ministries, departments and public sector agencies would fully cooperate with Mampu in continuing to strengthen the effort to provide open data.

“Transparency is one of the pillars of a thriving democracy. Therefore, the public sector needs to enhance transparency in supporting the government’s commitment to the people,” he said.

Anwar added that the government plays a crucial role in building an enabling ecosystem that will boost the digital-based economy and enhance the country's competitiveness in the Southeast Asian region and on the global stage.

This is in line with the “Madani Economy: Empowering the People” framework, which emphasises the digitisation agenda as a driver of innovation and productivity enhancement for the country.

In this regard, Anwar said the government is responsible for accelerating the digital revolution in the public sector, and one of the initiatives includes the establishment of Government Technology or GovTech Malaysia.

“In addition to Mampu, which plays a crucial role in planning and coordinating the digitisation of the public sector, GovTech’s approach is to enable the implementation of digital projects in the public sector without the involvement of external consultants and contractors,” he said.

Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali

Meanwhile, Zuki, at the Public Sector Digital Conference 2023 today, said GovTech Malaysia was established to intensify the digital revolution toward enhancing the government’s capabilities in the quality of public data, public innovation and services in a more holistic manner.

GovTech Malaysia represents a “whole-of-government” approach to modernising the public sector, emphasising three aspects; people-centric, universal access to government services and a whole-of-government approach to digital government transformation, led by the World Bank, he said.

- Bernama