Individuals should always be ethical when accessing and interpreting data for mutual benefit, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the fast paced development in information technology and communication had led to a data revolution, whereby data was used extensively in a detailed manner and disseminated fast and on large scale, thus making data the new power to acquire knowledge.

In this context, he said users should have the wisdom to digest, and at the same time, be fair and open in interpreting the data.

"Today, data is no longer static in nature but rather volatile, and can be used in various fields such as economy, education, health, social, technological, environmental, legal and so on.

"The data revolution has had a great impact on our lives as it is able to transform human lives, on the way we think and do work," he said when launching the Big Splash Open data programme organised by the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) at the University of Malaya here today.

Ahmad Zahid said the implementation of the government's open data policy had also led to an increase in the transparency of government services.

"Through this policy, we also provide a platform for citizens to obtain information from official government sources, and as a conduit for the government to get feedback from the people," he added.

He said the government's official data could be accessed through 'data.gov.my', and as at 3 pm on Wednesday (May 24), a total of 1,982 data sets which were 100 per cent machine readable were accessible on the portal.

"The data which is shared (on the portal) is not private or classified as confidential," he said, adding he was confident the target of having 7,000 data sets on the Open Data portal by 2020 could be achieved.

He said Malaysia also aimed to be in the top 30 of the Open Data Barometer by 2020, up from number 51 in 2015.

-- BERNAMA