PUTRAJAYA (May 15): Data in the Central Database Hub (Padu) system is ready for the government to implement the people’s programmes, including targeted subsidies, at any time, said Economy Minister Mohd Rafizi Ramli.

However, any decision regarding the implementation of the mechanism will only be decided by the government at a suitable time to avoid inflationary speculation.

"The government is trying its best to avoid inflationary speculation. Therefore, it is best that we keep the sequencing close to our chest.

"The guessing game is to really manage the balance on how the market and society behave," he told the media when asked about Padu's progress after the launch of the second season of the Innovathon television reality show here on Wednesday.

Rafizi said he is worried that certain groups would take advantage by raising prices, and making a profit if the government's sequencing, schedule and decision arrive in a way that is not exactly according to the plan.

He said what is best for the government at the moment is to provide everyone with information about the data, and when the government feels it is the appropriate period, and that the appropriate mechanism had been decided, it will happen.

On Jan 2, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched Padu, a system containing individual and household profiles covering citizens and permanent residents in Malaysia.

Padu's objective is to provide a secure, comprehensive and near-real-time national primary database, which enables more accurate data analytics to be produced with policy formulation and data-driven decision-making processes, in addition to enabling targeted policy implementation to balance the fiscal position. 

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