Parliament passes Statistics Bill 2026 to strengthen Malaysia’s national data governance and evidence-based policymaking
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat has passed the Statistics Bill 2026, marking a major reform of Malaysia’s statistical framework aimed at strengthening national data governance, improving the quality of official statistics and supporting more effective evidence-based policymaking.
The legislation, comprising 22 clauses, replaces the Statistics Act 1965 (Act 415), which has served as the country’s primary legal framework for official statistics for more than six decades.
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the new law represents a comprehensive modernisation of Malaysia’s statistical ecosystem, ensuring that government institutions are better equipped to produce accurate, reliable and internationally aligned official data.
He said the Bill goes beyond updating outdated legislation by introducing a more coordinated national statistical system capable of supporting informed policy decisions, efficient public service delivery and sustainable national development.
According to Akmal, high-quality data has become increasingly important in enabling governments to formulate policies that accurately reflect current economic and social realities while delivering tangible benefits to the public.
The legislation establishes several new institutional mechanisms designed to strengthen the country’s statistical governance.
Among its key provisions are a clearer definition of the functions and responsibilities of the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the establishment of a National Statistics Council, comprehensive provisions governing data collection and requests for information, improved procedures for statistical publication and communication, enhanced confidentiality safeguards, regulatory powers and the formal repeal of the Statistics Act 1965.
The Bill also introduces a more coordinated approach to managing the National Statistical System by strengthening collaboration among ministries, government agencies and public institutions involved in producing official statistics.
This includes standardising statistical concepts, definitions, classifications, coding systems, methodologies and technical standards to improve consistency across government.
Under the new framework, DOSM will serve as the central coordinator for the production of Malaysia’s official statistics while functioning as the country’s national repository for statistical data.
The department will play a broader role in integrating information from multiple government agencies to support more comprehensive national data management.
However, Akmal stressed that the legislation does not transfer ownership or operational authority over administrative data from ministries or government agencies.
Instead, each ministry and agency will continue to retain responsibility for its respective administrative databases, sector-specific information and statistical functions.
He explained that DOSM’s expanded role is focused on coordination and harmonisation rather than centralisation, ensuring that official statistics produced across government are consistent, comparable and of higher quality.
The minister said greater use of administrative data would also help reduce duplication in data collection exercises, easing reporting requirements for respondents while lowering operational costs, saving time and improving resource efficiency.
He added that the sharing and utilisation of administrative data will continue to comply with all existing legal requirements, security protocols and government data protection mechanisms.
A key feature of the Statistics Bill 2026 is its emphasis on safeguarding data confidentiality.
Akmal assured Parliament that protecting the privacy of individuals, households and organisations remains a fundamental principle under the new law.
Information collected for statistical purposes cannot be disclosed or used for any purpose beyond those expressly permitted by legislation, ensuring that respondents’ identities and confidential data remain protected.
He said maintaining public trust in the national statistical system is essential to ensuring continued cooperation from individuals, businesses and institutions participating in government data collection programmes.
The Bill is the culmination of an extensive policy review process that began in 2016, involving wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
Akmal said the drafting process included seven engagement sessions involving federal ministries, government departments, state governments, local authorities, universities, industry representatives and private sector organisations.
The legislation also incorporates internationally recognised statistical principles and reflects global best practices in response to the rapidly evolving digital data environment.
According to the minister, the passage of the Statistics Bill 2026 demonstrates the government’s commitment to building a modern, integrated and credible National Statistical System capable of supporting transparent governance and informed decision-making.
He said stronger statistical governance will ultimately improve public policy formulation, strengthen service delivery and enhance long-term national development planning by ensuring policymakers have access to timely, accurate and high-quality official data.
