KUCHING, March 26 — The Economy Ministry will brief the Sarawak government on the Central Database Hub (Padu), said Minister Rafizi Ramli following the state’s concerns.

According to him, no information leakage issues have been reported despite over two million attempts to hack the database each week.

"A briefing session will be organised for Sarawak government representatives regarding security and data protection issues in the near future.

"The ministry is committed to addressing any questions and concerns raised by the Sarawak state government,” he said in a statement.

Rafizi was responding to Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali statement yesterday regarding the state’s concerns towards Padu.

He explained Padu integrates data from over 400 public sector agencies, including state and local governments, as well as government linked companies and government linked investment companies to create detailed individual and household profiles.

"As of March 12, 2024, Padu has integrated 314 sets of data from various agencies, forming the basis for comprehensive individual profiles.

"Throughout the Padu development process, risk and security protection plans, as well as safeguarding classified data from breaches and leaks, have always been prioritised by all parties,” he said, adding that the Padu team consistently collaborates with agencies responsible for cyber security and national data privacy.

This includes the Malaysia Office of the Chief Government Security Officer (CGSO), National Cyber Security Agency, Cyber Security Malaysia, Department of Personal Data Protection, and the Ministry of Communications.

Rafizi said Padu is internally developed using existing civil service expertise, without involvement from external consultants.

"This decision reduces the risk of information leaks as external parties do not have direct access to Padu.

"To ensure data integrity and prevent data leaks by officers with access to data, the assessment of the officers’ integrity level is considered through security screening processes by CGSO.

"Access to data is only granted to appointed officers and is limited to their respective roles. This rule is part of the standard operating procedures for Padu system management,” he stated.

Rafizi said information in the Padu system is government data protected by the Official Secrets Act 1972 [Act 88] and CGSO security directives.

"Therefore, any unauthorised access, upload, download, alteration, addition, or dissemination of any data in Padu is a criminal offense and if convicted, can result in imprisonment, fines, or both.

"In addition to Act 88, data including computer equipment is also protected under the Computer Crimes Act 1997 [Act 563], which generally states that any unauthorised access or use of any device, information (data), or computer system is an offense.

"This also applies to anyone accessing the system or using or getting or uploading or downloading data without permission from the Padu system.

"The government will always ensure secure data handling, including system security, networks, and data protecting personal information,” he said.

According to him, with Padu, every citizen will benefit from fair and effective policy planning and implementation based on data.

"As previously noted, Padu has seen a sudden increase in registration rates over the past week. As of 11.59pm on March 24, 2024, the registration number has increased to 7.7 million, from 5.4 million recorded on March 17, 2024,” he added.

In a statement yesterday, Sharifah Hasidah said the Sarawak government supports Padu in principle because of its noble intention to ensure aid resources are channelled effectively to Malaysians.

However, she said caution must be given to Padu’s implementation.

She said clarifications from the Economy Ministry regarding security implementation and protocols are necessary for the Sarawak government to fully support the federal government’s initiative.

The Deputy Minister said concerns expressed by the Sarawak government and the people on Padu are justified as cases of data breaches, leaks, and scams are rampant these days. — The Borneo Post