KUALA LUMPUR: With just one week remaining before the deadline, registrations for the Central Database Hub (Padu) have yet to reach the 50 per cent mark.

The numbers, however, are increasing, with 7.7 million registered as of 11.59pm yesterday.

"Padu has witnessed a sudden increase in registration rates over the past week.

"As of 11.59 pm. on March 24, the number of registrations has increased to 7.7 million, up from 5.4 million recorded on March 17," Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said in a statement.

Rafizi said he is optimistic that the registration rate among individuals aged 18 and above, which currently stands at 35.1 per cent, will continue to rise and potentially reach or even exceed 50 per cent by the registation end date, which is March 31.

"The public are encouraged not to wait until the last minute to register.

"With the closing date approaching, we expect daily registrations to continue to increase significantly.

"Register and update your data in Padu before March 31, to avoid the risk of continuous missed opportunities," he added.

Previously, Rafizi said that the government has no plans to extend the March 31 deadline for Padu registration, citing implications for subsidy restructuring and targeted subsidies implementation.

He cautioned that failing to register or update information in Padu may result in missing out on government assistance and subsidies.

The implementation of Padu aims to enhance governance and improve policy planning and implementation based on data.

It is not only focused on retargeting subsidies and aid but also aimed at comprehensively identifying the socioeconomic status of the people.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/1030119/only-351-percent registered-so-far-padu-registration-deadline-fast