Penang receptive to enacting data sharing law, says Gobind

GEORGE TOWN: Penang is highly receptive to the Federal Government’s initiative to enact laws similar to the Data Sharing Act 2024, to create a larger ecosystem between federal, state and local agencies.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo (pic) said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, whom he met on Monday (April 28) together with other state representatives, was very supportive of the proposal, which was crucial to develop a comprehensive data ecosystem that included the state and local authority levels.

“We (the Federal Government) have explained to them that we are able to build an ecosystem where data is accessible not only at the federal level but also at the state and local levels. My team has been proactive in educating state authorities about the importance of data sharing.

“We want to digitalise the government operations as much as possible, and once we are able to do that, everyone will benefit.

“Chief Minister Chow is very receptive to the proposal,” he told a press conference after officiating Malaysia Digital (MD) Open Day 2025 here on Tuesday (April 29).

Also present were Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo, as well as state infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.

The Data Sharing Act 2024, which came into effect on Monday, aimed to strengthen data management and data sharing between government agencies and the private sector in an effort to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.

Meanwhile, Gobind said the government has taken proactive steps promptly by deploying legal officers to the states to explain the implementation methods of the new legislation.

“Last week, a team from my office, my legal officer, and my legal department came to Penang and made a presentation to Zairil.

”I have told my team to go to all the states as well, so that they can explain how it can be done quickly, and hopefully by the end of the year, we can see efforts to enact legislation to that effect in all states,” he said. – Bernama