Rafizi said false declarations were a long-standing challenge for government agencies and departments.

“When they fill out the forms and make declarations, they declare differently. Then we have to check everything manually,” he told a press conference today.

He said that without Padu, bureaucratic processes could impede the nation’s efficiency because the challenges lay in cross-referencing data between different agencies protected by their respective Acts.

“Agreements need to be made with them (agencies and departments), and then sometimes when you get the data, it is ‘static’. And all this has to be done manually because there is no algorithm,” he said.

He said the algorithms can be developed over time to improve the data matching process, categorising data into different classes such as what he dubbed as “gold standard” and “anomalies”.

Padu, which will be ready for user registration on Jan 2, will remain open for three months for Malaysian citizens to verify and update their socio-economic data.

The system aims to be the most comprehensive database established by the government, and ensure a fairer distribution of targeted subsidies as well as reduce the occurrence of marginalised risk groups.

Padu is also slated for integration with MyDigital ID, the national digital identification system, in the future.

For those who lack the devices required for such an online registration, there is the option for manual in-person registration at locations such as Digital Economy Centres (PEDi), local district offices, and government agency offices.

According to the ministry, registration will not be mandatory. However, it encourages citizens to do so to ensure that Malaysians who are eligible for assistance such as targeted subsidies are not overlooked.