Putrajaya: The 23rd Meeting of the Working Group on Data Sharing, Analysis, Dissemination and Communication of Statistics (WGDSA23) has unanimously elected the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) as Chair of the WGDSA for the 2026-2027 term.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the two-day WGDSA23, which began yesterday in Putrajaya, brought together 18 delegates from ASEAN Member States (AMS) and the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEANstats), with Myanmar participating virtually. The meeting aimed to advance regional statistical cooperation, promote data transparency, and strengthen communication strategies under the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS).
Chief Statistician and ACSS15 Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin stated that the appointment reflected the continued trust of member states in Malaysia's active role in strengthening the ASEAN statistical system. He reaffirmed Malaysia's strong commitment to fostering innovation, inclusivity, and resilience in the regional statistical ecosystem. Dr. Mohd Uzir emphasized the central role of accessible, reliable, and timely statistics in enabling evidence-based policymaking and supporting ASEAN's integration and development goals.
Discussions at the meeting, as reported by Mohd Uzir, focused on the implementation of the WGDSA Multi-Year Plan (MYP), expansion of the ASEAN Statistical Indicators - Consolidated Template (ASI-CT), integration of Application Programming Interfaces (API) for real-time data access, and the expansion of statistical outreach through initiatives such as the ASEAN Virtual Learning Academy and targeted awareness programmes.
The meeting specifically discussed the enhancement of the ASICT data collection template for indicators in areas such as MSME, the manufacturing industry, inflation, population, and employment. A key milestone of WGDSA23 was the presentation of Malaysia's initial 2025 Action Plan for the Awareness Initiative, an ACSS Annual Priority under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) reporting framework.
The initiative was previously endorsed by the Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) at the 14th Session of the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS14) in Laos. As the lead country, Malaysia announced the establishment of a dedicated Task Force on Statistical Awareness and Engagement under WGDSA to steer its implementation.
The outcomes of WGDSA23 will directly inform the implementation of the ACSS Action Plan 2026-2030, which aligns with the broader ASEAN Community's post-2025 vision, reinforcing the role of statistics in regional integration and policy development. Dr. Mohd Uzir added that as Chair of ACSS15, Malaysia continues to lead by example in promoting data transparency, inclusivity, and evidence-based governance across ASEAN.