ECONOMY Minister Rafizi Ramli has refuted allegations of wasteful spending concerning the government’s central database hub (PADU) claiming that it will not involve any annual payments to private system providers.
In a statement addressing the concerns, Rafizi clarified that PADU was entirely developed by civil servants from three key agencies: his ministry, the statistics department and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit. This makes PADU a fully government-owned initiative.
Rafizi took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to assert the strength of PADU, noting its reliance on the collective expertise and efforts of public servants rather than external consultants and contractors.
“For me, the strength of PADU lies in its involvement of the collective expertise and efforts of public servants, not external consultants and contractors,” he stated.
Back in September, Rafizi had announced that PADU was 60% ready for public access to verify personal information with plans for full access beginning in January 2024.
The system aims to become the most comprehensive government database, ensuring a fairer distribution of targeted subsidies and reducing the occurrence of marginalised risk groups.
Moreover, Rafizi highlighted that PADU was developed by civil servants using existing allocations and infrastructure, eliminating the need for a new tender for the private sector.
“Therefore, it does not involve additional expenditure, as often happens whenever a new government system is introduced.”
Expressing gratitude to the public servants and teams from various agencies who contributed to PADU development since May, Rafizi commended the public sector’s efficiency.
“I pray that the existence of PADU will bring significant changes to public service from the government to the people. Indeed, the core team managing PADU will continue to face challenges, but if there is praise for PADU, the praise belongs to the public servants.” – Dec 28, 2023
Main photo credit: XKLUSIF
