ECONOMY Minister Rafizi Ramli said that the Central Database Hub (Padu) system was exclusively developed using the expertise of civil servants. He expressed concerns about involving external parties, citing the increased risk of data leakage.

Rafizi emphasised that the conventional approach of engaging vendors or private companies for government applications is outdated and hinders the government’s control over the system, including the ability to promptly address issues.

The minister clarified that one of Padu’s top priorities is to utilise internal expertise, specifically from civil servants, in developing a robust system. He emphasised the advantage of the Official Secrets Act 1972 (Act 88) in maintaining confidentiality and security.

“If they breach the act (Act 88), they can be charged. But if it involves third parties, they are not bound by all this,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

Rafizi said using civil servants to develop Padu would allow the system to be upgraded faster as private companies are tied by contracts with limited access.

Asked about consumer complaints like difficulty in accessing the system, Rafizi said it was normal for newly-developed applications to face teething technical problems.

“Even Apple (iOs), Amazon, Netflix and Microsoft need updates because all products will always have room for improvement,” he said.

He said that before its launch, Padu was evaluated and audited by a team of experts to ensure the security and protection of data as recommended by the National Economic Action Council.

As of 4pm today, 516,168 consumers have registered and of this number, 261,158 have completed the e-KYC (electronic Know-Your-Customer) process, with Selangor having the most sign-ups, he said.

“Among the problems encountered by consumers is the issue of user familiarity with the system like filling in data, camera not functioning and caches not being cleared,” he said.

He assured this matter would continue to be addressed through the hotline and other channels to be opened later.

Rafizi said the authorities would focus on areas with a lower registration pattern, such as the rural areas and groups that are not digitally literate, to ensure the issue of subsidy leakages could be tackled.

Asked about human rights organisation Lawyers for Liberty’s (LFL) call for the government to postpone the Padu implementation until the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2010 is amended, Rafizi said the suggestion is not logical because data held by government agencies is still regulated by certain legislation.

“If we were to follow the comments of LFL, we would have to close the National Registration Department and Immigration Department because the data collected by Padu is not new. As we speak, our data is already in the government database,” he added. – Bernama, January 4, 2024.