Country experience: Malaysia
3.22. In Malaysia, all statistics collected and published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) are governed by the Statistics Act 1965 (revised in 1989). Under the terms of the Act, DOSM has the independence to determine the coverage, contents, methodology and periodicity of data collection. For the collection, compilation and dissemination of trade in services statistics (including FATS), DOSM has the lead responsibility. Memorandums of Understandings were established between DOSM and Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) and Tourism Malaysia (TM) to facilitate and improve cooperation with those agencies. BNM, through its Statistical Services Department, is responsible for compiling BOP statistics from ITRS, while Tourism Malaysia collects tourism-related data to be used for statistics on the international supply of services. There are 14 additional agencies that contribute to the collection, compilation and dissemination of trade in services statistics.
3.23. To coordinate the dissemination of trade in services statistics, DOSM chairs the quarterly meetings of the Inter-Agency Planning Group to brief members on the data prior to publication. The members include the Economic Planning Unit, the Treasury, BNM, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation and the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority. Technical meetings with BNM and other agencies are held as necessary. In addition, the high-level committee structure of the industrial master plan for Malaysia includes the Working Group on Services Statistics that monitors, in particular, the development of trade in services statistics.
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