In the past two weeks, those looking for counters to register for the government’s mega database Pangkalan Data Utama (Padu) were likely disappointed.
This is because only a handful of counters were opened for at least a day in March, a list published on Padu’s official website showed.
This included counters opened at the Urban Transformation Centres (UTC), district offices, Pusat Digital Ekonomi (Pedi), Statistics Department (DOSM), and selected hotspots across the country.
None of the six UTC listed have any counters open today, while the counter at Bandar Pasir Gudang UTC is the only one operating this weekend. Most UTC counters were closed throughout March.
Similarly, none of the 659 counters in the “hotspots” list are open today and only the one at the Segamat Information Department will be open this Sunday.
Most of the hotspot counters were closed throughout March, according to the list which is updated automatically every five minutes.
Contradictory info
Despite the list on Padu’s website, an aide to Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said many counters are in fact open, especially mobile counters.
“Just check Padu’s page to find out. Thank you to the entire DOSM team that have not stopped moving since launch day,” said Rafizi’s press secretary Farhan Iqbal on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
It is unclear if he was referring to Padu’s official website, which only contained the list showing many counters being closed, or Padu’s X account.
The latter mostly comprises re-posts from DOSM on its Padu registration activities of the day, but not a list that would help direct users to a nearby counter that is available.
Meanwhile, checks of the state DOSM Facebook pages found counters open in various locations today but were not listed as open on the Padu website.
For example, counters operating in Selangor until this weekend include those in Lotus's hypermarket in Bangi, Hulu Langat district office, Kompleks MPKK in Klang, and several Pedi locations in Kuala Selangor, as listed on a Selangor DOSM Facebook posting.
Based on the Facebook posting, the counter at Pedi in Kundang was supposed to be open today but is listed as closed on the Padu website.
Selangor DOSM said the locations listed in the post and their opening hours are “subject to change”.
In Kuala Lumpur, a counter will be open at the Bandar Tasik Selatan low-cost flat multipurpose hall this weekend, Federal Territories DOSM shared in a Facebook post, but this is not listed on the Padu website.
Less than a fifth have registered
Registrations will close at the end of the month while just 16 percent of 30.08 million citizens have completed their registration, according to the official count as of 11.59pm on March 14.
The 30.08 million include children whose parents or guardians are supposed to update their information, while the total number of adults meant to register is 21.97 million.
The main mode of registration is online but the government has opened counters to assist those with issues registering digitally.
This includes individuals unable to complete the e-Know Your Customer (eKYC) process of the registration because the system cannot match the selfie they have taken with the photograph on their MyKad.
Rafizi is scheduled to hold a press conference on Padu next week.
He earlier said the government is unlikely to extend the March 31 deadline because it wants to use Padu to distribute targeted subsidies as soon as possible.
The purpose of the database is to ensure subsidies are better disbursed, taking into account not only take-home pay but also the individual or household’s financial obligations.
“We wanted some leeway to decide the policy measures and to find the best suitable plan for the government to ensure all your data privacy. Then the March 31 date came so that after we got all the data, we can make our decisions on what’s the best subsidy rationalisation programme,” he told reporters in January.
“It’s already a tall order for agencies to identify who really needs the aid and who is getting it because their information online shows they are eligible when in truth they may have three cars but the salary in the database says they are earning RM500.
“So the sooner we get the data the faster we can administer aid and also think about it, if we push to June, then it’ll take longer to implement the projects we want to, so we need to push the timeline and be ambitious with this,” he added. - Mkini
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