MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: New Straits Times

The network, which is managed by the Malaysian Centre for Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MACGDI) under the Land and Co-operative Development Ministry, provides access to geospatial data through sharing among participating government agencies for more improved planning and development of such resources.

It currently offers data from some 45 State and federal agencies operating in Perlis, Kedah, Malacca, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Labuan.

Under the expansion programme, the centre will work with the relevant government agencies in transforming their paper-based data into the GIS (geographical information system) format before it can ride on the MyGDI network, a Ministry spokesperson told Computimes last week.

He added that the exercise will be funded from a sum of RM49 million allocated under the Eighth Malaysia Plan for the development of a national geospatial data and infrastructure.

According to the spokesperson, another initiative to be undertaken by MacGDI this year is to add on information offered via its Geoinformation for Executive (G4E) system, which transforms raw data from MyGDI into useful information that will help decision-makers in the Government to better execute their tasks.

He said G4E, which cost about RM1 million to develop, currently provides information from agencies in Kuala Lumpur. To date, 50 top executives in the Government have registered to use the facility, and they are currently undergoing training.

Apart from this, MacGDI will also develop a system similar to G4E but for use by the rest of the employees in the Government.

"We will process raw data attained from their custodians or agencies participating in MyGDI and transform that data into more analytical information that caters to the needs of specific sectors, for example, tourism, environment and disaster such as flood and fire," the spokesperson said.

This sectoral-based information, he added, will be able to provide useful information to assist agencies in carrying out improved planning and development of projects involving land resources.

In addition, MacGDI is preparing for its role to serve as the geospatial data infrastructure to the Government's recently announced e-Tanah initiative, aimed to modernise land management at the State level through the computerisation of its key processes.

The centre, through MyGDI will provide the linkage of the land management system at the State level to systems of technical agencies, under the Federal Government, for more effective land management processes.

Work on this initiative will start in Penang, where a two-year pilot exercise of e-Tanah is expected to begin this year.