23rd April 2026 - 3 min read
The Central Database Hub, better known as Padu, is expanding what it does. From next month, the platform will offer advanced analytics services to government agencies and ministries, a step up from its current role of verifying personal data. Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir announced the expansion at a press conference on 21 April 2026.
Padu currently serves 26 government agencies, which use the platform to cross-check applicant details for scholarships, loans, and grants. The new analytics function builds on that foundation by allowing agencies to run deeper analysis on the data they already have access to.
Akmal Nasrullah gave a few examples of what this could look like in practice. If the government issues a loan, Padu could analyse the recipient’s capacity to repay it. On a broader scale, the platform could combine socio-economic data with other parameters to identify which specific communities in a given locality are eligible for targeted government services.
“We want to ensure that government decisions are not just based on estimates or hypotheses, but are backed by solid statistical elements and analysis,” he said.
The database currently holds 30.7 million individual profiles, fed by roughly 600 data points drawn from various government touchpoints. Because the data is centralised, agencies no longer need to separately verify information with the Inland Revenue Board, the Social Security Organisation, or the Employees Provident Fund. Everything sits in one place.
Akmal Nasrullah said the Youth and Sports Ministry reported a 20% reduction in data verification time for its programmes after adopting Padu, citing it as evidence that the RM85 million allocated for the platform’s development has already delivered returns through efficiency gains across the civil service.
The minister was direct on the question of private sector access. Padu will remain strictly a government tool. “We will not open Padu to the private sector. I don’t think we want to monetise this. Our complete focus is strictly on enhancing government services,” he said.
The Social Welfare Department has submitted a new application to use the system, which was expected to be approved by April.
Padu was launched on 2 January 2024 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a central repository for citizen data. It has since become a key part of how the government targets subsidies, including its role in the RON95 targeted subsidy rollout, with the analytics expansion marking its next phase.
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Iman writes about personal finance with curiosity. She is interested in the stories behind money, the hesitation around big decisions, and the small habits that shape financial futures. Off the clock, she is either dissecting a film or climbing her way up the leaderboard in her favourite games.
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