Numbers And Data Form Policies For National Development - Chief Statistician

LIPIS, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- The national celebration of World Statistics Day 2025 was held in Sungai Koyan, to heighten public awareness on the importance of statistics for the country's development.

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said organising the celebration here this time provided an opportunity for the rural community to understand how data and statistics are used to plan facilities for health, education and employment in national development.

He said statistics are not mere numbers but formed the foundation for policy decisions that directly impact the well-being of the people and the sustainability of rural development.

“For example, hospitals and schools are not built spontaneously but are planned based on birth data and educational needs recorded by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

"Malaysia also excels globally, ranking number one in terms of the availability, openness and accessibility of official data, due digital initiatives such as OpenDOSM and interactive platforms developed by the department," he said.

He said this after the official launch of National and World Statistics Day 2025 by Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail at Laman Sejahtera Jelai in Sungai Koyan here today.

Mohd Uzir said among DOSM's latest innovations are the development of a life expectancy calculator and Minimum Acceptable Living Expenses (PAKW) tool, which allows users to assess the cost of living based on family profile, age and location of residence.

"Such data helps employers and employees understand the reality of local living costs, thereby supporting a more balanced dialogue in determining wages and productivity.

"DOSM is also developing a mobile application called TANYA DOSM, which will make it easier for the public to access official data quickly and interactively, to strengthen a culture of data use among citizens," he explained.

Meanwhile, he said Sungai Koyan was chosen as venue to host the celebration to primarily focus on the growing rural community.

In conjunction with the celebration themed 'Statistics the Pulse of Life', various programmes were organised for three days starting yesterday, including a data-based application competition (Datathon), debates and community engagement programmes, with the participation of university students and local residents.

Apart from holding the Prime Minister's Forum on Islamic Affairs entitled "AI and Statistics: Benefits for the Ummah" which was broadcast live by RTM and JAKIM, the programme also served as a knowledge-sharing platform on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the collection and analysis of national data.

-- BERNAMA