KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 6.4 million households have responded and completed their details in the 2020 Malaysian Population and Housing Census online using e-Census as at last Sunday, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economic Affairs) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said they made up 19.7% of the estimated 32.7 million population.
“We have 13 more days before the online phase of the census is over and we hope that the target of 30% of the population using e-Census will be achieved by end of this year,” he said during question time today.
Mustapa said replying to Wong Shu Qi (DAP-Kluang), who wanted to know the number of households and percentage that have completed their details in the e-Census so far, and the Statistics Department's target.
He said the 2020 Census is being implemented in two phases, with the first initially scheduled for July 7 to September 30 and the second scheduled for October 7 to 24.
However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the first phase of the census – the online phase – was extended to December 21, and the second phase – face-to-face interviews – is rescheduled to start from January 20 to February 6 next year.
Meanwhile, he said the ministry was in the midst of implementing various programmes to increase the response for the online phase, especially in Sabah, which has recorded the lowest response so far at 6.7%.
“A total of 1,700 census clinics, e-Census Hour and e-Census Day have also been held virtually to increase the response,” he added. – Bernama, December 8, 2020