Kota Kinabalu: A flying squad from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) in Sabah will be visiting Ranau, about 110km from here, to help people register with the Central Database Hub (Padu) system on Jan 13 and 14.
Sabah DOSM Director Muhammad Amri Idris said the team of 10 staff would be going to the ground to explain the system to residents to ensure those eligible would sign up.
The flying squad, in collaboration with other government agencies, would also hold engagement sessions with community leaders, he said.
“This initiative is targeted at residents in the rural areas and interior. We will move according to a schedule and visit the targeted areas. We want to reach out to villagers having difficulty, accessing the internet,” he said.
He said DOSM is targeting to get 2.1 million Sabahans aged 18 and above to register with Padu by March 31.
Muhammad Amri said the response towards Padu in Sabah was good in the first week after it was opened for registration on Jan 2, as many had contacted DOSM or visited the counters provided.
According to him, a lack of understanding of the Padu registration process and the inadequacy of gadgets used by some individuals are among the challenges faced in the Padu registration drive.
Apart from Kota Kinabalu, the public can also make enquiries on the Padu implementation at the DOSM offices in Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu, Keningau and Kota Marudu.
Muhammad Amri encouraged people in rural areas to use the Digital Economy Centres (PEDi) in Sabah to update their personal information and sign up with Padu.
Padu is aimed at, among other things, helping the government implement the targeted subsidy initiative more efficiently to prevent leakages.
