Malaysia achieves global recognition in open data and press freedom
The Housing and Local Government Minister praised these accomplishments, particularly Malaysia's top ranking in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) 2024/25.
"Malaysia made history by securing the top position in the ODIN with an impressive overall score of 90."
"The country outperformed 198 others, including developed nations such as Singapore, Finland, Denmark, and Poland," he said at a press conference during the Sentuhan Kasih KPKT 3.0 programme in Kuantan on Saturday (May 3).
Nga said that this achievement reflects the Madani government's commitment to data transparency and public accessibility, particularly through the launch of the OpenDOSM portal in 2023.
The platform modernised and centralised access to Malaysia's official data, while reinforcing the country's digital governance framework, he added.
"Open data is crucial because it supports evidence-based policy planning. When data is openly accessible, it enables more accurate, informed decision-making by policymakers. This also helps build public trust and strengthens governance," he said.
Nga added that this achievement highlights Malaysia's capability to compete globally in terms of openness and coverage of official data.
He said this further cemented Malaysia's status as a global leader in open government data.
Meanwhile, Nga announced significant improvement in Malaysia's ranking on the World Press Freedom Index 2025, published by Reporters Without Borders.
"Based on the latest evaluation, the country's ranking rose 19 spots from 107th in 2024 to 88th this year, with its score improving from 52.07 to 56.09 points," he said.
This marked improvement is seen as a positive sign of ongoing reforms and improvements in the nation's media landscape, he added.
Among ASEAN nations, he said that Malaysia now holds the second-highest position on the index, behind Thailand, which is ranked 85th globally.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Digital Kitchen initiative expands to 10 more PPRs in KL
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dapur Digital initiative is entering its second year by expanding to 10 more People's Housing Projects (PPRs) in the city, following strong sales and growing community engagement. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa highlighted the government's support for community-based social enterprises as Dapur Digital received a RM5 million boost from the Finance Ministry in the 2025 Budget to establish 25 additional locations nationwide. Spearheaded by Pepper Labs, the initiative has surpassed RM1.08 million in total sales since its 2024 launch, with five pilot kitchens empowering B40 communities in KL to generate income through cooking and e-commerce. "So far, the entrepreneurs involved come from five People Housing Projects (PPRs), with around 10 people per PPR. There may be more once their local communities become more engaged," Zaliha told a press conference after the KL Dapur Digital 2025 Keys Handover today. "Ultimately, what we want is for this social entrepreneurship model to be extended to more communities so that in the Federal Territory, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, we are not only talking about physical development but also about human and community development." She said the participants of the programme, which is based on a public-private partnership model, are not only trained in food preparation but also in digital marketing and financial management. The training is also conducted near participants' homes, Zaliha added, enabling convenient access and allowing the kitchens to evolve into community hubs. Dapur Digital is part of the Federal Territories Department's broader strategy to eradicate hardcore poverty under Program Usaha Jaya Insan (PUJI) action plan. In addition to support from government agencies, the initiative sees cooperation from private partners such as Media Prima, Maxis, Brahim's, PPB Group, Shopee, TikTok and Grab Malaysia.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Call for joint action to advance global green economy
PETALING JAYA: UN-Habitat Assembly president Nga Kor Ming has called for bold, collaborative action to advance the global green economy, including joint international guidelines for green industrial buildings. His proposal during a bilateral meeting in Vienna recently with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) director-general Gerd Muller seeks to establish shared sustainability standards ahead of the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2025. Nga, who is also Housing and Local Government minister, said guidelines would be developed under a partnership between UN-Habitat and Unido, with each organisation playing a distinct role. 'Under this framework, UN-Habitat will advocate the adoption of green building standards among local councils globally, while Unido will act as the accrediting body for qualifying industrial buildings.' The goal is to cut emissions from industrial developments and promote low-carbon industrial parks worldwide. Nga emphasised the need for sustainable development that delivers real-world benefits like job creation and inclusive economic growth, especially in rural areas. 'Unido has a vital role in this transformation, particularly in the circular economy, green manufacturing and agro-industries. The time to act is now. We must create jobs, empower local councils and ensure that our progress is built on innovation and measurable results.' A joint agreement to reactivate the MoU signed between Unido and UN-Habitat in 2017, with renewed focus on climate-resilient development and rural council empowerment was taken at the meeting. Nga, accompanied by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Malaysia's Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim, also paid a courtesy call on the Lord Mayor of Vienna Dr Michael Ludwig. Nga congratulated Ludwig on his re-election and commended Vienna's achievement of being named the world's most liveable city for three consecutive years, a feat he attributed to strong leadership and smart urban planning. 'Vienna's urban success story proves that with vision and good governance, heritage and innovation can thrive side by side. 'As UN-Habitat Assembly president, I look forward to bringing these insights home and inspiring transformative change,' said Nga. During the 14th Mayors Forum at the WCS 2025 in Vienna, Austria on Thursday, Nga called for stronger international collaboration anchored in local action, emphasising that city-to-city cooperation must move beyond dialogue and translate into concrete, results-driven partnerships with clear timelines. 'We must institutionalise knowledge-sharing and back our intentions with innovation funding, technical hubs and measurable outcomes.' Nga proposed three key mechanisms for this, including joint innovation funds for shared urban challenges, regional hubs to address common issues and standardised metrics to track citywide progress globally. He said these strategies are drawn from Malaysia's own experience and supported by platforms such as the Malaysia SDG Cities Roadmap, Asean Smart Cities Network and the Asia-Pacific New Urban Agenda Platform to encourage knowledge sharing and scalable solutions. Highlighting global best practices, Nga cited transformative urban innovations such as Barcelona's Superblocks, Yokohama's Zero Waste policy and Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit system. Following his visit to Seestadt Aspern, Vienna's flagship smart district, Nga praised the city's long-term planning, heritage preservation and people-centric design.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
M'sia urges concrete action in global city partnerships
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is calling for a bold shift in global city cooperation, urging mayors and urban leaders to move beyond discussions and act on shared challenges through concrete urban partnerships. The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) said Minister Nga Kor Ming (pic), in his capacity as the UN-Habitat Assembly president, made the call in his special address during the World Cities Summit 2025, which is being held in Vienna, Austria. Nga, in addressing over 75 mayors and city leaders from around the world, underscored the urgency for city-level action rooted in local implementation and backed by innovation. 'Collaboration must lead to projects that solve real urban challenges. We must institutionalise knowledge-sharing and back our intentions with innovation funding, technical hubs and measurable outcomes,' he said in a Bernama report that is based on the KPKT statement yesterday. Nga outlined a forward-looking approach that encourages cities to work together through mechanisms such as joint innovation funding, regional coordination on shared urban concerns, and standardised urban metrics to track the effectiveness of their initiatives. He stressed that these are not mere theoretical but tested strategies grounded in Malaysia's own experience. 'Through platforms such as the Malaysia SDG Cities Roadmap, the Asean Smart Cities Network, and the Asia-Pacific New Urban Agenda Platform, we actively promote knowledge exchange and scalable solutions for sustainable urban development,' he added. In reinforcing his call, Nga highlighted transformative urban models from around the world, including Barcelona's Superblocks, Yokohama's Zero Waste policy, and Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit, describing them as examples of urban innovation that achieved global impact through networked learning. Kuala Lumpur mayor and adviser on Sustainable Urbanisation Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif also shared several key insights on delivering affordable housing during her intervention speech at the Mayors Forum on Thursday. She said affordable housing is more than a development target, it is a reflection of the government's social compact with the people. 'Real affordability takes more than policy, it demands shared conviction ... a truly inclusive city is one that listens, adapts, and responds in order to build a genuine sense of belonging with its people,' she said.
