PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has instructed for several committees to be set up to monitor the implementation of the 62 programmes under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW).

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, emphasised that the formation of these committees would not solely contribute to the attainment of the aims and objectives of the programmes concerned, but would also guarantee they are conducted with integrity, reliability, and accountability.

Speaking at the KKDW monthly assembly here today, he said the 62 programmes were formed during the recent ministry’s retreat programme.

“The ministry needs to be more futuristic in planning the development of the ministry in the long term. In July, I want the 62 programmes to be re-implemented and to ensure that the implementation process is done as well as possible so that the priorities of the programmes can be re-arranged so that they have a greater impact on the people,“ he said.

He said KKDW is also directly involved in the implementation of the national-level Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB) to be held from Feb 29 to March 2 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

Meanwhile, met by reporters after the assembly, Ahmad Zahid said that as of Feb 2, only 33.4 per cent or 8,173 profiles of KKDW staff, out of a total of 24,471 personnel, were registered with the Central Database Hub (PADU) system.

He believed that this was due to doubts among the staff concerned about sharing their data.

“..but we have worked on several steps and we will make sure to reach 100 per cent registration by the middle of this month,“ he said.

PADU, now considered the most comprehensive database established by the government, is a system containing individual and household profiles encompassing citizens and permanent residents in Malaysia.

The objective of PADU is to provide a safe, comprehensive and near real-time national main database that enables more accurate data analytics to be produced as well as for policy formulation and data-driven decision-making processes, besides enabling targeted policy implementation to balance the fiscal position.

Malaysians aged 18 and above are encouraged to register and update their information in the system to ensure that those eligible are not left out from receiving targeted subsidies, assistance and social protection provided by the government.–Bernama