PADU: The Central Database That Determines Who Qualifies for Subsidies

To shift from blanket subsidies to more targeted assistance, the government needs to know the socioeconomic circumstances of its people. PADU is the database built for that purpose.

What is PADU?

PADU, or Pangkalan Data Utama (Central Database), is the national master database launched by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on 2 January 2024. It was jointly developed by the Ministry of Economy, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU).

According to the government, its purpose is to bring together a socioeconomic picture of the population in one place so that subsidies and assistance can be targeted at the groups that have been defined, rather than being channelled indiscriminately across all income levels.

What data does PADU store?

The system consolidates administrative data on individuals and households — including current address, occupation, income, education level and household members — to build a profile for each individual. In total, PADU covers almost 300 types of data at the federal government level, with state and local government data added in stages.

One thing it does not contain: banking information. According to the government, PADU’s data collection does not involve bank information systems due to legal restrictions.

How does it determine subsidy eligibility?

The government set the first-phase update window from 2 January to 31 March 2024. During this period, people aged 18 and above were encouraged to check and update their information so the government could process the data and assess each individual’s eligibility for various assistance programmes.

By the 31 March 2024 deadline, around 10.85 million adults had registered — nearly 50% of the 21.96 million people aged 18 and above. The Economy Minister at the time, Rafizi Ramli, rejected calls to extend the deadline, arguing that any delay would push back the implementation of targeted subsidies.

What about those who did not register? They are still included in the system. It is just that the government only holds baseline data collected from various agencies, rather than the more detailed, up-to-date information that can only be completed through voluntary registration.

How do you register or check your status?

The process can be done online or over the counter:

• Go to padu.gov.my and log in using your identity card number.
• Review the existing profile that has been pre-filled from government agency records.
• Update details such as current address, occupation and income if there have been any changes.
• For those without internet access, registration can be done manually at a counter by bringing your identity card and relevant supporting documents.

What comes next?

PADU is designed as the data backbone for Malaysia’s targeted subsidy policy, including the shift from blanket subsidies to more precisely targeted assistance. Because your profile can change — a change of job, a pay rise, an additional family member — it is worth checking and updating your information at padu.gov.my from time to time so your records stay current when assistance eligibility is assessed. For the latest details on specific schemes such as cash assistance or fuel subsidies, refer to the official announcements of the relevant implementing agencies.