By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 25: Apart from information on economic and financial standing, there is no need to disclose or expose personal and private profiles to determine the eligibility of targeted subsidy recipients.
In stating this, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said the concerns expressed by the Sarawak government and the public in general regarding the Central Database Hub (Padu) are valid as cases regarding data breaches, leaks, and scams are rampant nowadays.
“A consolidation of personal data of all Malaysians in one central database would have to be equipped with the highest level of security and data protection.
“To determine the targeted subsidies, information on economic and financial standing are important, but not to the extent of disclosing or exposing their personal and private profiles, which are not necessary in determining the eligibility of the targeted recipients,” she said in a statement today.
Sharifah Hasidah further said the Sarawak government, in principle, supports the noble intention of the Federal government to ensure that government resources to aid Malaysians are channelled effectively, but caution must be given to its implementation so as not to deprive eligible Malaysians of receiving the targeted subsidies by looking into the individual’s financial position and economic wellbeing.
“Thus, clarifications from the Ministry of Economy (MOE) on the matter regarding its security implementation and protocols is pertinent in order for the Sarawak government to fully support the Federal government’s initiative, as it also needs to protect Sarawakians’ interests,” she added.
Padu was launched by the Federal government on Jan 2, 2024, for real-time data integration and sharing among Malaysian government agencies, focusing solely on improving data accessibility and government decision-making efficiency.
It is meant to have accurate individual and household profiles for the Federal government to implement targeted subsidies, rationalise its subsidies, and avoid potential leakage in the distribution of subsidies.
However, the Sarawak government has expressed reservations about the requirement for citizens to provide extensive confidential data to complete registration on Padu.
Following this, Federal Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli is scheduled to meet with the Sarawak government this week to address concerns regarding Padu. — DayakDaily
