“We need to follow the timeline to implement targeted subsidies. If I had more time, I’d have extended (the deadline),” Rafizi said at a town hall event here today to discuss the low Padu registration rate.

“Any extension now will further delay the timeline we’ve set.”

He said he expects 10 million people to register with Padu by the March 31 deadline, after the government previously said it targeted 29 million people to register.

This is equivalent to 50% of the adult population, or those aged 18 and above, who are eligible to register, he said, adding that 7.07 million have registered so far.

Rafizi also said the government is shouldering about RM2 billion in diesel subsidies every month.

He was responding to a question from one of the attendees about whether the government would extend the registration deadline.

Yesterday, a Perak executive councillor said he hoped the registration deadline would be extended to ensure that all 1.8 million residents in the state would sign up.

In a Bernama report, Azlan Helmi, who handles the communications, multimedia and NGO portfolio, said almost 50% of people in Perak have yet to register on Padu, most of whom are in rural areas.

The initiative aims to improve the efficiency of policy planning and resource distribution, especially the distribution of targeted government subsidies and assistance to those who deserve it.

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