A NATIVE rights group in Sarawak has called on the one million rural Sarawak folks who have no fixed income, and the urban poor to register with the Central Database Hub (Padu) to ensure they do not miss out on national subsidies and benefits.
Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) northern Sarawak coordinator Michael Ding said Padu registration is already in full swing but state leaders are now having a change of mind.
"This change of mind from state government leaders at this time can cause difficulties for us poorer Sarawakians who need subsidies.
"If we don't register we may miss out since millions of Malaysians throughout the country plus tens of thousands in Sarawak had already registered with Padu.
"Why are the state leaders having second thoughts about Padu only now when the registration is already in advanced stage?" he asked.
Ding, who is from the Baram interior district, called on all politicians to clearly explain Padu to all grassroots folks and the benefits of registering.
Yesterday, the Sarawak cabinet said it wanted a halt to the ongoing registration in the state for Padu which is overseen and managed by the federal government.
State Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah said there is a need to review the exercise and urged Sarawakians not to participate in it as yet.
"We in the state cabinet discussed this Padu and feel we need to halt this registration,” he said.
"Why does the federal government want all citizens to bare all their personal information on bank accounts, properties, income, et cetera?
"These are personal confidential details that should not be shared. The state government wants a review.”
"People in Sarawak should not register as yet with Padu," Karim told reporters in Kuching.
Willie Kajan, community elder of the Tring-Berawan minority ethnic organisation, also said there is a general sense of ignorance about what Padu is all about.
"Many rural folks think that Padu is something like the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia, another government scheme to provide welfare assistance.
"They are unaware that the people need to register online for Padu and that they need a mobile phone to get a personal password.
"Elected politicians must start going to the ground and explain all these to the grassroot folks," said Kajan. - The Vibes, March 23, 2024
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