Why make people sign up with Padu only to use existing data, asks Wee

 

A total of 17.65 million Malaysians aged 18 and above, comprising 58.7% of the country’s population, have updated their data with Padu.

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Wee Ka Siong questioned the government’s rationale of utilising existing data it had for its targeted subsidy initiatives after pleading with the public to sign up with the central database hub (Padu).

Wee Ka Siong.

Wee, a former minister, said Putrajaya had asked the public to provide updated information when signing up for Padu.

“How are we to distinguish between the new and old data? It’s going to complicate things,” Wee told reporters after a breaking of fast event here.

He was commenting on economy minister Rafizi Ramli’s statement that existing administrative data would be used to determine subsidy eligibility for citizens who were unable to register prior to the deadline on March 31.

A total of 17.65 million Malaysians aged 18 and above, comprising 58.7% of the country’s population, have updated their data with Padu.

Wee, who served as transport minister from 2020 to 2022, said the government should have used terms such as M40 and B40 from the very beginning when establishing who was eligible for the subsidies.

He said if the government had been more direct, those who were not eligible, based on their income bracket, would not have registered with Padu.

“Those who think they might qualify, on the other hand, can provide their details. This way, the government would be able to obtain more accurate data.”

Rafizi, during the launch of Padu in January, said the initiative would enhance the government’s ability to accurately gauge the socioeconomic status of the population and mitigate disparities linked to disposable income.

He had also said the approach would allow the government to move away from the conventional B40, M40, and T20 classifications, focusing instead on providing assistance based on well-defined criteria.

Asking who had given the nod for the integration of data from various agencies for Padu, Wee said there was a need to obtain consent from the individuals prior to sharing such data.

“Isn’t this a violation of one’s rights?” - FMT