Kuala lumpur: The Statistics Bill 2026 is expected to be gazetted by the end of this year after completing the administrative process following its approval in Parliament, said Minister of Economy Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir. He said the bill had been approved in the Dewan Rakyat and was scheduled to be brought to the Dewan Negara next week, with the hope of gaining support before being enacted.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Akmal Nasrullah mentioned at a press conference during the Ministry of Economy's monthly assembly that the bill will undergo the necessary administrative processes similar to any bill passed at the parliamentary level. Once gazetted, the department will be renamed the Department of Statistics Malaysia. The ministry plans to conduct a stakeholder engagement process post-approval to enhance understanding of the new act's importance.
The minister emphasized the bill's role in strengthening the governance of official statistics through the establishment of the National Statistics Council. This council will assess the direction and development of the country's statistics, ensuring that the production of official statistics remains objective and guided by established processes, including periodic censuses like the economic and agricultural censuses.
The bill also highlights the creation of a data repository centre to coordinate data from various agencies while safeguarding information confidentiality. Akmal Nasrullah clarified that data ownership would not transfer to the Department of Statistics but would focus on producing comprehensive findings for effective data use.
For researchers, journalists, and stakeholders seeking unpublished data, formal requests can be submitted to the chief statistician, adhering to confidentiality requirements. Akmal Nasrullah stated that the Statistics Bill 2026 aims to provide a foundational framework to modernize data use in decision-making, replacing the 61-year-old Statistics Act.
On July 16, the Dewan Rakyat approved the Statistics Bill 2026, intended to replace the Statistics Act 1965 (Act 415) and create a modern, comprehensive legal framework aligning with the current data and statistics ecosystem. The bill was passed with a majority vote after debate by 21 Members of Parliament from both government and opposition blocs.