MyGDX enables secure data exchange between Malaysian government agencies and improves the efficiency of digital services. Platform head Aznul Nizom bin Nasir spoke to GovInsider about how the system works, its role in governance and future plans.

An “invisible” system handling a million requests

During university admissions, the load on Malaysia’s government systems rises sharply. Under these conditions, MyGDX successfully processes more than one million requests per hour.

Users do not notice the process. Working in the background, the system enables real-time verification of examination results for applicants using the UPU Online portal.

That is MyGDX’s core purpose: to provide secure, continuous data exchange between government agencies as the essential infrastructure behind digital public services.

Crucially, data is not moved to a central location. Each agency retains ownership of its information, while MyGDX enables secure integration. This allows public services to operate within a unified digital environment.

The approach differs fundamentally from previous practice. Each agency used to develop its own APIs and technical solutions for data exchange, operating under different standards and governance rules. This made interoperability difficult.

MyGDX has now been used 184 million times. These results earned the platform a special award in the Digital Government category of Innovation Awards 2026.

Citizens provide information only once

MyGDX is based on the Once-Only Principle. Citizens and businesses do not have to repeatedly submit the same information to government agencies. If the information already exists in another government system, the authorized agency obtains it automatically through MyGDX.

This approach is already improving public service delivery. MyGDX’s data-exchange mechanism underpins services available through the MyGov Malaysia mobile application and the MyGovernment portal.

The MyGov application is currently integrated with 41 APIs through MyGDX. An API, or Application Programming Interface, enables two programs or information systems to exchange data in a standardized way. This shows that the platform has become an important component of integrated digital public services.

The hardest part of building a unified system

Creating a common platform alone is not enough to build a digital government. The greatest challenge is enabling incompatible information systems developed over many years by different agencies to communicate.

Malaysia faced the same problem. Ministries and agencies used software developed in different years by different contractors, each with its own APIs and technical solutions. This slowed data exchange and made unified digital services difficult to deliver.

MyGDX was developed to solve this problem. It does not require agencies to replace their existing information systems. Instead, it enables them to retain those systems while exchanging data securely.

An API connector and a security server are installed at each participating agency. Agencies can then share data with other public bodies or use their data while leaving internal systems unchanged.

The platform supports different technical environments. It works equally with the government’s MyGovCloud infrastructure, agencies’ own data centers and private cloud solutions. This has enabled a gradual approach to digital transformation.

All agencies must speak the same “language”

Connecting different systems does not solve the problem by itself. If one agency’s data is interpreted differently by another, integration will not deliver the expected results.

MyGDX has therefore introduced a common Data Dictionary for the Public Sector (DDSA). Data is described using shared terms, definitions and formats, allowing agencies to interpret it consistently.

The MyGDX Governing Authority (GA) coordinates the system. It manages the registry, service catalog, trust service and monitoring system, and sets common technical standards and operating rules for every connected government agency.

The platform currently supports more than 400 active APIs. A dedicated monitoring system continually checks their availability, speed and information security.

Integration depends on trust

Connecting to MyGDX involves several stages. First, a government agency submits a formal application. Specialists then assess its technical readiness, data-management processes and compliance with information-security requirements.

Technical integration follows: digital certificates are issued, MyGDX components installed and APIs developed, tested and put into operation.

The platform exchanges data using a Point-to-Point (P2P) model. This means information does not enter an open environment: it passes only between the providing agency and agencies authorized to receive it.

The process is protected through Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Digital certificates authenticate participants, while data is transmitted with end-to-end encryption and protected by digital signatures.

Data is a national asset, not merely an agency resource

The next stage of MyGDX’s development has a broader goal than creating a standalone platform: establishing a unified national data ecosystem.

It rests on the concept of a national data repository. This does not mean gathering all information in one place. Each government agency will continue to store its own data. The difference is that information about those holdings will be managed through a common catalog and made available to other authorized agencies in accordance with the law.

This approach does not physically centralize data. It does, however, allow it to function as a unified system when needed to deliver public services.

Another important idea underlies this approach: technology alone cannot build a digital government. Agencies’ attitudes toward data must also change.

For many years, data was considered an individual agency’s internal resource. Each organization collected, stored and managed it primarily for its own needs. MyGDX proposes a different approach: data may belong to one agency, but the value it generates should serve the whole government system.

The main barrier to data sharing is therefore trust rather than technology. Agencies participate actively when they are confident that information is exchanged legally, under clear rules and in a secure environment.

“Technology alone is not enough to remove barriers between data. Public policy, governance, technical architecture and organizational culture must work together,” Aznul says.

According to him, the Personal Data Protection law signed in 2025 aims to strengthen this trust. It clearly defines agencies’ powers, reinforces accountability and establishes a common legal basis for data exchange.

The next stage

Six of Malaysia’s 13 states are currently connected to MyGDX. Two more are completing integration.

The next phase will gradually increase the number of participating agencies, harmonize existing integrations and further expand data-sharing capabilities.

The goal is to make MyGDX a trusted national data-exchange platform, accelerating government operations and enabling simpler, faster and more convenient services for citizens.

Source: egov.uz