LACK of information, an inconvenient system, and data fraud fear are among the reasons Malaysians have declined to register on the Padu central database hub.
People who spoke to The Vibes said it was difficult to register because the system was not user-friendly.
Some said the government had made nearly no effort at all to persuade people to register.
Padu was launched on January 3 with the expectation that it would be a game-changer for data management in Malaysia.
On April 1, Rafizi said 17.65 million Malaysians, which is 58.7% of all citizens have registered with Padu.
Malaysia has a population of 33.4 million, as of 2023.
Counters are open for Padu registration in economic digital centres, Urban Transformation Centres, Rural Transformation Centres, Health and state and parliamentary service offices.
Registration was closed on March 31, but Rafizi said it would be reopened if there is a need to upgrade the system.
Azri Ismail is among those who decided not to register after finding the process to be a hassle.
The 38-year-old furniture engineer said registration was a waste of time as his data could easily be found in other government databases, such as that of the Inland Revenue Board.
"It is a hassle. That is why I have yet to register. And now I hear that those who don't register will be registered automatically. What nonsense is this? Why do you need us to register when you can do it automatically," he said.
He is also worried about data leakage.
"It has happened before. The previous government failed to secure our data when it launched the MySejahtera app. How is it different now?"
Insurance agent Dzulhilmi Ismail in Malacca has registered but said this was because he had no choice.
He said the government had emphasised that registration was a must for people to receive aid.
"I expect the government to secure the site and data. There must not be any leakage because all of this data is valuable," he said.
"I also expect the assistance to go to the target group as promised by the government. If they cannot guarantee this then they all need to resign because they are a bunch of failures."
Secretary Ng Suzhen, 42, in Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, has not registered because the government has not made it mandatory.
Ng said people are worried about data security.
"I may not need Padu because I don't think I am eligible for any assistance. I ignore it because I don't see how it will benefit me.
"But it may be good for others, such as lower-income groups, in terms of tracking if they are eligible for any stipends or benefits. But Padu does not seem to benefit the middle-income group."
Mohd Faiz Omar said he was among the earliest to register. The father of four said he has confidence in the government initiative.
"I feel it is my duty to register to keep my information updated. The data collected be used to find out the income of every household," he said.
"From there, the government can identify target groups for special subsidies.
"The issue of data leakage is old news to me. It has happened before and I believe measures have been taken to prevent that," he said.
Politicians have lambasted the government, especially Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli, over Padu.
MCA president Wee Ka Siong previously warned that Malaysians were suspicious of the complicated RM80 million Padu system set up to store their personal data.
Wee had asked Rafizi why people needed to upload their information in the system when the data are already available to the authorities.
“People smell something fishy,” said Wee, a former minister, said on Facebook back in March.
Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi had called the Padu system a failure.
He said the system was not workable and that there was a lack of government communication about it.
Tengku Azmin Tengku Azhar in Penang said he was happy to register – until he found the process to be tedious.
He added that he would let the government do it for him
He said the government must ensure the security of the data it collects.
"My expectation is that the assistance will get to the right people. We have had so many discrepancies in the past and it is time we got things right.
"Let's hope that those in need get the assistance they deserve and the government makes sure our data are not hacked," he said.
Housewife Natasya Erwanty Mohd Amin said she registered after reading about the system in the news.
The 32-year-old expects the system to benefit the people in need.
"It is the government's turn to make sure everything is in order. We have given our cooperation so the government has to keep us safe."
"I'm the ministry had discussions before coming up with this programme. They must have done some risk assessment.
"Let's hope Padu will benefit us all and that government can continue to aid those in need in a more efficient way," said the former tutor. – April 20, 2024.
