MCA PRESIDENT Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has warned that Malaysians may be getting suspicious at the complicated RM80 million Central Database Hub (Padu) that they are being forced to register with and also furnish their financial and personal details in.
He questioned Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli on why he has been asking people to fill their information in the system when the data is already available to the authorities.
“People may be able to smell something fishy,” said Wee, a former minister, in a Facebook post today.
He related that when Rafizi was asked on March 5 about who is checking the accuracy of the information filled by applicants, the minister had answered casually: “Actually we already have the data.”
Wee said that only 5.22 million Malaysians or 17 percent of the entire 30.08 million population had registered by March 18, after Padu was launched in early January.
(The chief statistician announced today that over 7.36 million citizens, or 35 percent of the population, have enlisted thus far.)
“This is an obvious sign and a strong proof of the people’s lack of trust in the system,” he said.
He stressed that it is too complicated with its 39 questions, and people have no confidence in its security and privacy.
“It is not easy for people in the rural areas to fill out the details with too much information,” he added.
“Even if you have filled out all the information, you won't necessarily get a subsidy because the basic criteria for the subsidy are not announced at all.”
In a video posted on social media, Rafizi is seen saying: “You may not have gotten government aid before this. Now, although the opportunity has been opened, because your data has not been updated you may continue to be dropped.”
Wee said that there is no use in threatening the people. “This is not a sincere way to help the people in need,” he said.
He pointed out that RM80 million is not cheap and could instead be used to upgrade the government's e-Kasih system that is already in use.
Wee added that he explained the drawbacks and imperfection of Padu to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a meeting on January 22, which was also attended by the two deputy prime ministers and the premier of Sarawak.
He said that he is made to understand that the Sarawak government issued a circular to call for the temporary cessation of the registration process until a new directive is given.
‘Formula king who fails’
Umno supreme council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi characterised the Padu system as a failure and attributed it as a reflection of Rafizi’s own failure as economy minister
He said that the system is not workable and there is a lapse in communication over it.
He added that karma has now hit back at Rafizi as he used to put down Barisan Nasional (BN) when the coalition was in government and he was in opposition.
"In the past, Rafizi enjoyed inciting that BN was about ‘barang naik’ (prices going up); that Najib is 1MDB, 1MDB is Najib.
“Now the law of karma has come back to him,” Puad said in a Facebook post.
“Padu is Rafizi, Rafizi is Padu. Padu is seen as a failure,” he gibed.
Ridiculing Rafizi as a “formula king”, he claimed that all of the PKR deputy president’s “formulas” have been flops.
He said that this is why Anwar wants Rafizi to clarify the issue to the Cabinet while the Sarawak government has openly gone against it.
Puad wondered aloud if the welfare “delivery system” will be delayed and turn into a mess.
On Friday, Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah had called for a review of the Padu 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 is the federal government wanting all citizens to bare naked 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.”
The Padu system was launched by Anwar on January 2.
The data is managed by the Department of Statistics. It covers nearly 300 types of data under the federal government and will also progressively in the future take in data from state and local governments.
The federal government reasoned that the system will enable it to channel aid and subsidies for essential items to those who are from the lower income brackets. – The Vibes, March 24, 2024
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