Kuala lumpur: The Central Database Hub (PADU) system will emphasise implementation and the expansion of services, particularly in offering data analytics to government agencies to support more effective decision-making, said Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir. He announced that this new approach marks a significant shift in PADU's function from merely serving as a platform for data collection and verification to becoming a service instrument providing in-depth analysis, beginning this May.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Akmal Nasrullah explained that previously, when agencies engaged with PADU, the focus was more on data verification, leveraging PADU's strength as a platform that consolidates all profiles in the country. The verification process became the primary choice for users of PADU's services. However, with the new analytics capabilities, PADU will offer deeper assessments, such as analyzing the recipients' ability to repay loans in government programs involving financial assistance.

Akmal Nasrullah highlighted that PADU's analytics services enable interventions such as aid and grants to be implemented more fairly and accurately for target groups. He noted that any party seeking verification or data-related analysis only needs to go through PADU, as it provides comprehensive access to the required data in one go.

As of March this year, 26 government agencies and departments have been approved to use PADU, including the Public Service Department, the Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN), the Department of Skills Development, and the National Digital Department. Akmal Nasrullah stated that PADU currently contains about 30.7 million individual profiles and functions as a dynamic database that serves as the backbone for other government services.

He assured that the government has no plans to commercialize PADU, maintaining it as a public service platform facilitating centralized access to data. Furthermore, PADU's effectiveness has been demonstrated when one agency managed to save up to 70 percent in time and manpower in the data verification process, underscoring the system's value in streamlining government operations.