On the ground: Mazreha (left) speaking to MIC vice-president Asojan (second from right) and Vidyananthan (right) at the Johor MIC Ponggal Family Day officiating ceremony at Hutan Bandar Mutiara Rini, Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: Only 8.9% or 246,850 people in Johor have registered under the Central Database Hub (Padu), says the Statistics Department.
Its state director Mazreha Ya’akub said the lowest response was from Johor Baru and Kulai while Segamat and Kota Tinggi had the highest.
She said the slow registration in Johor Baru was primarily due to a “wait and see” attitude.
“As of Friday, a total of 246,850 Johoreans have registered under Padu out of a total population of 2,769,627 aged 18 and above.
“There is a need to enhance the publicity programme, especially for the elderly living in rural areas who may not have access to social media or know how to register themselves.
“Eighty-seven out of 99 Digital Economic Centres (PEDi) in Johor have been opened for Padu registration purposes, in addition to the district office and Statistics Department offices in Johor Baru, Muar, Kluang and Batu Pahat,” she told reporters when met after the Johor MIC Ponggal Family Day event here yesterday.
The programme was officiated by MIC vice-president Datuk M. Asojan.
Also present were state MIC chairman, R. Vidyananthan and state tourism, environment, heritage and culture committee chairman, K. Raven Kumar.
Mazreha also said some residents were waiting for Statistics Department personnel from headquarters to help them register.“There is a significant amount of misinformation about Padu that needs to be clarified.
“The ultimate aim is to ensure that the poor and eligible individuals can benefit from the targeted subsidies implemented by the government.
“The data collected can also provide insights into the number of graduates facing job difficulties or working in positions that may not align with their qualifications,” she said.
On Feb 2, Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said people should not wait until the last minute to register as it could cause system congestion.
Registration for Padu is open until March 31.
The system was developed by the Economy Ministry, Statistics Department and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit with the collaboration and support of several ministries, agencies and state governments.
