Banda hilir: The agenda to transform Melaka into a smart state by 2035 is taking shape with the launch of the Sistem Umum dan Analitik Rakyat, or People's General and Analytics System (SUARA). State Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Communication Committee chairman Datuk Fairul Nizam Roslan said the initiative aims to ensure that every government decision and policy is guided by real-time data and the needs of the local community.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, SUARA is an electronic survey platform (e-survey) that operates through the Melaka State Data Intelligence Centre (MDIC). The platform can be accessed free of charge by the people, government agencies, institutions of higher learning (IPT), industry, and local authorities (PBTs) to gather feedback and data on local development. The data collected will be consolidated, analysed, and translated into actions that benefit the people.

Fairul Nizam highlighted that the use of SUARA not only helps assess development needs in residential areas and villages but also enables the government to make more precise decisions regarding the provision of public facilities such as schools, mosques, and community centres. He explained that the system offers an avenue for all parties to share data and opinions, provided they collaborate with Institut Tun Perak (ITP) and the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN).

Furthermore, Fairul Nizam added that the SUARA system is currently being used for the first initiative under the Wakil Rakyat Untuk Rakyat (WRUR) programme, aiming to improve administrative efficiency and state development planning. In the meantime, he stated that all government agencies, government-linked companies, academic institutions, and non-governmental organisations should jointly use the SUARA platform to cultivate a culture of data sharing in Melaka.

'We want the culture of sharing and using data wisely to become standard practice in state administration so that decisions made truly benefit the people,' Fairul Nizam said.