Kuala Lumpur: The implementation of the Central Database Hub (Padu) has been officially launched, offering Malaysians a fairer distribution of aid and a more effective rationalisation of subsidies. Padu will work to address leakages in the provision of assistance and subsidies by identifying monthly household incomes, expenses, and living costs in detail, instead of relying on previous metrics based on gross incomes and the B40, M40, and T20 classifications.
One civil servant, Suzana Ismail, 43, shared her support for Padu, stating that the system will allow the government to update the provision of assistance holistically and identify those who are truly in need of aid. She highlighted that the previous methods did not take into account total expenses and led to many individuals in the M40 category being burdened with high expenses despite facing economic challenges.
Suzana shared her own example of having high monthly commitments due to her children’s schooling, tuition fees, and other expenses, yet she did not qualify for any aid. She emphasized that a review of the aid implementation was long overdue, and the introduction of Padu is timely given the current high cost of living.
Meanwhile, Nilai Polytechnic lecturer Syafawati Noorhafizah Adnan Adil, 38, expressed hope that the Padu system will be constantly monitored to ensure it achieves its objective. She stressed the need for a simpler registration process and stronger security features to prevent data breaches.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officially launched Padu on Tuesday with the aim of plugging leakages in the provision of assistance and subsidies. The system’s introduction is in line with the national digital transformation approach, ensuring that all government facilities can be enjoyed by all qualified recipients. – Bernama
