Rafizi said many non-Bumiputeras were not accustomed to receiving monthly assistance from the government.

“That’s why they are not extensively found in the government system. Many of them feel that they fall in the M40 and above income groups,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

“Hence, they are not eligible for any aid. That’s the reason (for their lack of participation), not because of a trust deficit.”

Rafizi was responding to a supplementary question from Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) on why non-Malays appeared hesitant to embrace Padu and whether this hesitation was due to a high trust deficit among them.

Last Monday, the minister raised concern over the low number of registrations with Padu among Klang Valley residents and non-Malays.

Rafizi said residents in 4,752 localities had yet to register under Padu, with 1,282 in Selangor and 992 in Kuala Lumpur. Petaling Jaya has the highest number of people who have not registered with Padu.

In the Dewan Rakyat, Rafizi said there had been a sudden increase in registrations, surpassing the eight million mark in recent weeks.

He also expressed confidence that the people understand the government’s objectives with Padu.

“That’s why in states with a larger B40 population, where more people feel they are eligible for assistance, those states show higher registration rates.

“In developed states, where people feel they don’t need assistance, we see registration rates around 5% to 10% lower compared to states on the east coast and up north,” he said.

Padu was launched by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 2 to improve resource distribution, especially in allocating government subsidies and assistance to those who deserve it.

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