A little bit doubtful about Padu
Minister speaks out about Sarawak having reservations about central data hub, calls for it to be modified
KUCHING: The Sarawak government has reservations regarding the requirement for citizens to complete registration on the Central Database Hub (Padu).
In voicing this out, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah revealed that Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department (Law, Malaysia Agreement 1963 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali had been tasked with seeking clarification and reviews over the ma er.
“The state government has got a li le bit of reservations on this. It was discussed in the Cabinet (and) YB Sharifah Hasidah has been asked to look into this.
“For Sarawak, we have asked for it to be modified,” he told a press conference a er launching the 27th edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) here yesterday.
Abdul Karim said the state government was not saying that it was against Padu, adding that they would support as long as it had good intentions.
However, he personally deemed the database’s need for detailed personal information such as bank accounts and housing loans as 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, 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.
Abdul 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
Those receiving government aid can fill that in, but you don’t go across the board and say everybody must fill it in.
Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
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.
Meanwhile in SRI AMAN, a memorandum asking the divisional administrators to not register particulars with Padu until further notice, was confirmed to have been issued.
According to Sri Aman Resident Abang Mohamad Porkan Abang Budiman, the circular, which had been widely circulated, was addressed to district officers and administrative officers in the division and not to others beyond Sri Aman.
“It was issued with good intention for the sake of our people. We can always register with Padu again when there’s a clear directive to do so from the state authority a er reviewing the intention of Padu and its safety features,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
The official memorandum, dated March 21 (Thursday), also called upon divisional administrators to relay the message to all community leaders and members of village security and development commi ees under their charge.
The Borneo Post has also sighted a circular, dated yesterday, from Sibu Resident Datuk Wong Hee Sieng informing divisional administrators that the state government had yet to decide on the registration of personal data with Padu.
He said community leaders should therefore refrain from involving themselves with the matter.
In a separate statement, Senator Abun Sui Anyit advised the people that they should not be afraid in updating their data in Padu.
“I do not want to see those eligible for government aid to miss out on it because they do not update their data in Padu.
“We don’t mean to force or coerce; as such, I would like to call upon Sarawakians, especially those in the B40 (low-income) group to update their information in Padu,” he said, adding he had updated his information in Padu in January this year.