KUCHING – The Sarawak government has reservations on the requirement for citizens to complete registration on the Central Database Hub (Padu), said Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The state tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister revealed Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali had been tasked with seeking clarification and review on the matter.
“The state government has got a little bit of reservations on this. It was discussed in the cabinet. YB Hasidah has been asked to look into this.
“For Sarawak we have asked for it to be modified,” he told a press conference after launching the 27th edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival here today.
He said the state government was not saying that it was against Padu, and would support it if it had good intentions.
“Of course we will support but if there’s an ulterior motive, we will not be happy,” he said.
On a personal note, he deemed the database’s need for detailed personal information such as bank accounts and housing loans was akin to stripping citizens naked.
“Personally, I believe there must be a slight change for the state. For Padu, I see something like what we have before – e-Kasih. Why do you keep on wanting to change, (every) two to three years the system keeps changing?
“The moment you fill in, you ‘bogelkan diri sendiri’ (strip yourself naked). Practically everything – your bank account, your house, everything! I don’t think that is a proper way to treat your citizens.
“If Padu is meant to help the poor, let them fill it in, those receiving government aid can fill that in; but you don’t go across the board and say everybody must fill it in,” he said.
Karim also questioned the real purpose behind Padu’s implementation, adding that the data could be exploited for political purposes.
“Personally, I feel that we shouldn’t rush through things. Look in detail, why do we need this? Is it because you want to help the poor or is it because you want to know how many people are in a village? That’s the role of the Statistics Department.
“Back then we had e-Kasih to search for those who are poor, why do we need Padu? It is more or less the same. Just that in Padu, if you don’t fill it in, the aid recipients may miss out.
“If so, we can always source it elsewhere and we don’t need to do Padu. However, those registered under the Welfare Department should register with Padu,” he said.
A memo purportedly from the Sri Aman Resident circulating on social media called for Padu registration to be halted with immediate effect in the division until further notice.
The memo supposedly for district officers called for community leaders, village chiefs and village security and development committees to be informed of the halting of registration for the time being. – March 22, 2024
, said Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.){kind=link}