PUTRAJAYA: The National Central Database System (Padu) is managed by civil servants to prevent any data leaks to third parties.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli explained that this is because civil servants are bound by confidentiality acts, preventing any breaches.
He emphasised that this decision also takes into account various factors, including avoiding reliance on outdated methods and opting for private vendors to handle government-owned public data.
The Padu system is meticulously constructed fully by civil servants aiming to control construction costs while harnessing the expertise within government agencies.
"Choosing not to engage private vendors ensures cost-effectiveness, especially in the face of potential modifications we may want to introduce.
"By developing it in-house with our skilled workforce, we can swiftly implement any necessary reactions or updates," he told reporters during a press conference today.
In the meantime, Rafizi disclosed that Selangor has emerged as the leading state in registering the highest number of users on Padu since its launch last Tuesday.
"Current challenges faced by users primarily involve adapting to the system, encompassing issues like data input, malfunctioning cameras, uncleared caches, and more.
"We remain dedicated to addressing identified areas with lower registration patterns on Padu, such as rural regions and individuals less digitally inclined, to effectively manage subsidy lapses," he said.
Rafizi emphasised that it's crucial for the public to grasp that the Padu system will play a pivotal role in the government's digitisation efforts.
"This system will centralise all government agencies, integrating data seamlessly and streamlining processes involving the public."
Commenting on the importance of setting a deadline for the public to update their data in the system, Rafizi highlighted that it aims to streamline the process for related agencies to filter and match data.
This ensures the swift implementation of targeted subsidies as soon as possible.
"Delaying the data collection process hinders the government's ability to promptly make substantial decisions regarding the targeted distribution of subsidies to eligible recipients.
"The insights derived from Padu's data will offer the government valuable information on their preparedness to implement these targeted subsidies.
"With deadlines set for March 31, the government is prepared to make well-informed decisions, in contrast to the past when we lacked data, resulting in the absence of implemented targeted subsidies."
Malaysians have until March 31 this year to update and verify their information with Padu through https://padu.gov.my/.
Individuals who fail to do so risk exclusion from receiving targeted subsidies as it would be based on updated data in Padu.
Padu, which encompasses individual profiles and household data, including citizens and permanent residents in Malaysia, is the integrated socio-economic national database that combines data from government departments and agencies to provide a fair representation of the socio-economic status of each household in Malaysia.