PUTRAJAYA – While civil servants have enrolled in the Central Database System (Padu), some are still uncertain about its purpose and whether it will benefit them directly.
Public servants shared their reservations, stating that the registration process lacks clear benefits, leading to delays in registration.
Despite the announcement regarding the February 15 deadline for updating information in Padu, scepticism persists among civil servants.
The deadline was announced by the Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz on January 22 in a letter made available on social media.
As of February 16, a total of 1.2 million civil servants have registered with Padu, said chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin.
Rose, a 35-year-old civil servant in the Halal Department of the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry, highlighted concerns about redundancy in providing information already available to other government agencies.
“Some workers question the purpose. For example, if they seek information on our assets or household income, they could obtain it from the Inland Revenue Board,” she explained.
Rose also mentioned issues with the identification verification process in the registration system: “Some of us face challenges with the ID verification process. Despite submitting a picture of my ID, I received two messages from Padu stating they couldn’t verify my ID. Others fear that discovering ineligibility for government subsidies after registering may discourage further participation.”
In contrast, Jannatul Ain Jamaludin, a 29-year-old assistant administrative officer, emphasised the individual responsibility of registering with Padu.
She believes that contributing data to Padu assists the government in making accurate economic analyses for better planning.
“People need to stop waiting for government incentives. With data from Padu, the government can make accurate economic analyses,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sara, a 30-year-old participant in the Malaysia Short-Term Employment Programme (MyStep), expressed concerns fueled by social media rumours about registered individuals facing bank account hacks.
“I hesitated to register due to rumours about leaked information. However, as a civil servant, I shall follow orders,” said the Puchong resident.
Mohd Adam, a 28-year-old operation assistant in the Health Ministry, voiced concerns about the elderly facing difficulties in registering for the new system.
He cited personal experience helping his father register and urged the government to address such issues.
Previously, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil called on MPs to encourage mass Padu registration, aiming for 29 million users by March 31, 2024.
According to the government’s official website, Padu serves as a computerised database for utility information, managed by the Survey and Mapping Department. It aims to be a central repository for aid and subsidy distribution, including RON95 petrol.
Chief statistician Uzir reported that as of February 6, Padu received registrations from 2.69 million individuals with Kelantan, Selangor, Johor, Perlis, and Sarawak having the highest numbers.
Kelantan recorded 191,078 registrations (15%), while Johor had 270,000. Perlis, Sarawak, and Selangor each exceeded 100,000 registrants. – February 15, 2024