KOTA KINABALU - Official statistics from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) play a critical role in ensuring that the country's policies are based on accurate information, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal said.
He said the Higher Education Ministry relies on these statistics to formulate related policies, adding that these statistics were 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 very important as the core of policy formation and the national agenda, among others, the Madani Economy, 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 efficiency of the government's delivery system,” he said here today.
Mohammad Yusof said this during 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 Dr Kasim Mansor and Sabah DOSM director Muhammad Amri Idris were present.
Mohammad Yusof said DOSM has been mandated by the government as the technical coordinator of existing administrative data in the development of the Central Database Hub (Padu) for a more equitable distribution of targeted subsidies and to ensure vulnerable groups are not left out.
He said Padu enables the government to formulate programmes and strategies that are guided by data and analysis.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Amri said Sabah DOSM will conduct the 2024 Agricultural Census from July 7 next year involving more than 240,000 households.
He said it covers the crop sector, livestock, fisheries, logging and forestry. - BERNAMA