Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli announced that the government’s Central Database Hub initiative, known as Padu, is currently 60% complete and remains on schedule for a January 2024 launch.
He highlighted the primary challenge of swiftly combining data from various government entities within a short timeframe, according to Malay Mail.
“Despite acquiring the data only in May and commencing work in June, we’ve reached the 60% completion mark, keeping our sights on the January 2024 initial access target. It has indeed been a significant challenge to ensure its readiness for next year, but we are determined to accomplish this in the next three months,” Rafizi remarked.
Rafizi emphasised that Padu’s primary purpose is to reduce exclusion errors, ensuring that eligible individuals receive government subsidies and assistance accurately.
“With Padu, our aim is to minimise exclusion errors, ensuring that those entitled to assistance do not miss out due to inadequate data. Implementing targeted subsidies is always challenging, but with Padu as one of the most comprehensive databases, we can significantly reduce these errors,” he explained.
Moreover, the minister noted that Padu will identify vulnerable groups at risk of losing social safety net support, allowing the government to focus on tailored solutions for these groups.
“Padu will also identify groups at risk of falling through the cracks, enabling us to concentrate on specific groups and develop appropriate policies or support measures,” he added.
Rafizi expressed his hope that Padu could integrate cybersecurity experts into government agencies and expand its role in creating a comprehensive nucleus of government data.
“Padu serves as the nucleus of the government’s transition to Government Accounting Financial Transformation and Government Accounting Tagging (GAF-TAG). It’s not just about a digital interface; it provides the government with reliable and precise information, enabling data-driven programs and strategies to consider the target demographic,” Rafizi stated.
He further disclosed that Padu would undergo a trial run in November before becoming accessible to the public in January 2024 for personal information verification.
In May, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim initiated the establishment of Padu to consolidate socio-economic information from every household in Malaysia, streamlining the implementation of targeted subsidies.
Padu will encompass data from 32 million Malaysians sourced from 270 databases spanning ministries, federal government agencies, state governments, and statutory bodies through existing data-sharing agreements.
