KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — The Central Database Hub (Padu) has seen a sharp rise in registrations over the last week, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said.

As of 11:59pm on March 24, 2024, the number of registrations had increased to 7.7 million from the 5.4 million recorded on March 17, he said.

Of the registrations to date, the percentage of individuals aged 18 years and above has reached 35.1 per cent.

"We are optimistic that the figure will continue to rise, potentially hitting or even surpassing 50 per cent by the March 31, 2024 deadline,” Rafizi said in a statement today.

Members of the public are urged not to wait until the last minute to register.

"With the deadline approaching, we expect daily registrations to continue to increase significantly. Register and update your data in Padu before March 31, 2024, to avoid the risk of being excluded (from receiving assistance and subsidies),” he said. — Bernama