SENIOR statistician Siti Asiah Ahmad has been appointed as Malaysia’s 10th Chief Statistician, effective today, succeeding to the top post at the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) as the Government steps up its focus on high-quality official data to support national policymaking.

Announcing the appointment, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said Siti Asiah’s extensive experience and proven leadership in official statistics made her the right choice to lead the department.

“Siti Asiah’s appointment reflects the Government’s confidence in her experience, expertise and distinguished service record to lead the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

“In an increasingly complex economic environment, official statistics must be faster, more accurate and more reliable so that the Government can act earlier and target interventions more effectively,” he said in a statement.

Siti Asiah, 51, has served in the public sector for almost 28 years after joining the Statistics Department as a statistician in 1998.

Prior to her appointment, she served as Deputy Chief Statistician (Economic Programme), overseeing the production of the country’s principal economic indicators, including Gross Domestic Product (GDP), external trade, and industrial and services statistics.

She also played a leading role in several national strategic initiatives, including the development of the Central Database, the compilation of cost of living statistics and efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s National Statistical System.

Siti Asiah holds a Master of Science in Economics from Universiti Putra Malaysia and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Her professional expertise has also been recognised internationally through her participation in statistical working groups under the United Nations, ASEAN and other international organisations.

The Ministry of Economy also announced the appointment of Norhayati Jantan as Deputy Chief Statistician (Social and Technical Development) and Wan Mohd Shahrulnizam Wan Mohd Najuri as Deputy Chief Statistician (Economic), strengthening DOSM’s senior leadership team.

The ministry expressed confidence that the new leadership line-up would further enhance the credibility of Malaysia’s official statistics and reinforce evidence-based, transparent and effective national development planning. – July 15, 2026