By Danial Dzulkifly
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 4 — Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has defended the implementation of the government’s Central Database Hub (Padu) within a short development time frame of six months, amid concerns over the system’s efficacy, integrity, and security.
Despite the ambitious timeline, he insists that Padu’s launch is a matter of national interest.
“It is a tall order that government agencies have never pulled off (in the past). I understand the public has concerns, but this is a national interest. The timeline is extremely ambitious.
“We have to manage a pool of people who have been working tirelessly in the past six months, and we also have to manage public adoption and public concerns, yet we must go through this process,” he said during a press conference today.
Padu represents a critical component of the Federal government’s effort to ensure a more equitable distribution of subsidies.
The system aims to streamline and enhance subsidy allocation processes, marking a departure from traditional methods.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by the accelerated timeline, Rafizi also stressed the significance of Padu’s immediate implementation in achieving the government’s targeted fiscal objectives.
“While the government has all the leeway to decide on policy measures, our job is to ensure the data is ready by March 31, 2024.
“This will ensure whatever decision the government makes regarding the distribution of subsidies can be done immediately,” he said.
The three-month window given to the public until March 31 is crucial for gathering essential data necessary for subsidy rationalisation and other fiscal consolidation policies.
“I hope the media understands why I am assertive because if we miss the March 31 deadline, it will derail all the fiscal consolidation plans Malaysia needs,” Rafizi said.
The minister also defended the decision to completely develop the database in-house by civil servants, adding that this is part of the government’s effort to digitalise its services and develop critical skills related to technology development within the public sector.
Similarly, the system’s development is “agile” in nature and requires a comprehensive in-house team to deal with issues round the clock, rather than a third-party developer who may be constrained by the terms of their contract.
“Also, I cannot stress enough the past data leaks, which were attributed to the number of people who had access to the system. By cutting out third parties, we reduce such risks.
“There is also another layer of security, as the civil servants who have access to the system are bound by the Official Secrets Act 1972, and any breach would constitute a criminal offence,” he said.
Rafizi said Padu’s data will undergo integration with other data points from some 400 government agencies, but reiterated that those within the centralised database will be the backbone for the government to conduct its fiscal policies.
