By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Feb 18: All residents of Sarawak should participate and be counted in the 2020 Malaysia Population and Housing Census because of how the data will be used in policy making, planning and determining the allocation of resources for local, state and federal governments.
The 2020 Census, themed ‘Your Data Is Our Future’, will get underway on July 7 with an online option available for citizens to submit information.
Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Sarawak deputy director Dayang Rozana Abang Hassan led officials in presentation of the census during a meeting with Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah in her office today.
Fatimah stressed that it was crucial for residents to respond to the census, as local, state and federal governments will depend on the accurate data to design policies, programmes, interventions and future planning.
“We are counting on the census to capture the growth scenario in Sarawak, particularly to help us make planning and decisions based on evidence, instead of assumptions.
“A good example is the senior citizens population in Sarawak, which is an indicator that Sarawak, like many other countries, is heading towards an ageing society, and that’s why the Kenyalang Gold Card came about,” she told reporters.
Without accurate data to plan ahead, Fatimah said it will lead to ineffective social planning, monitoring, intervention and evaluation.
“Therefore, we urge everyone to participate in the census and give full cooperation to the census workers who will be canvassing neighbourhoods.
“The Ministry will also promote about the importance of participating in this upcoming census in our various activities and programmes,” she added.
Meanwhile, Dayang Rozana advised residents to make sure that census workers visiting homes starting July have a valid ID card, with their photograph as well as letter of authority and contact numbers.
“Residents can call the numbers to verify if the workers are genuine,” she said.
In addition to completing the census online, she said that there were also other options including computer assisted personal interview (Capi) which would be used by census workers, computer assisted telephone interview (Cati) by DOSM state officers, paper assisted personal interview (census workers) and drop off and pick up for respondents.
“The census will involve 108 questions, but some are very basic ones,” she added.
Census 2020 is the 6th census to be conducted in the country.
Population census in Malaysia is undertaken once every 10 years and Malaysia is among the 54 countries that will carry out the census this year.
For further information about the Census 2020 visit www.mycensus.gov.my.—DayakDaily
