POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS 2020 (CENSUS 2020)
KUCHING: The public has been urged to fully support and cooperate with enumerators during the Population and Housing Census 2020 (Census 2020) which will be conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) starting July 7.
“The statistics is vital for us as policymakers as it is the basis on which we form policies,” said Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
“The statistics can show where we stand at the moment. In addition, we will be able to know what plans and interventions we want to implement so that our goal of developing Sarawak can be achieved,” she said.
Explaining that evidence-based and effective decisions could be made based on such a census, she said it was important for every person to be counted to ensure that the census produced accurate results, which would lead to accurate policies, plans, programmes, and financial allocations.
“From this, we can benchmark and obtain indicators on the wellbeing and socio-economic status of our people,” said Fatimah during a press conference after she hosted a courtesy call by DOSM representatives at Baitul Makmur Building, Petrajaya here yesterday.
DOSM Sarawak deputy director Dayang Rozana Abang Hassan said there were five modes of census: E-Census (online self-response by respondents), Capi (computer-assisted personal interview by enumerators), Cati (computer-assisted telephone interview by a state DOSM officer), Papi (paper-assisted personal interview by enumerators), and Dopu (drop-off and pick-up by respondents).
The census themed ‘Data Anda Masa Depan Kita’ (Your Data Is Our Future) would have 108 questions.
Basically, the objective of the census was to gather information on population and housing profiles in a comprehensive and detailed manner, encompassing demographic and socio-economic characteristics.
She said that a census was conducted once every ten years. Five have been carried out since the formation of Malaysia.
“The coming one will be the sixth census,” she said.
Dayang said that Census 2020 was in line with the Resolution on 2020 World Population and Housing Census Programme agreed to on June 10, 2015 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN Ecosoc) to ensure that member states conduct their respective censuses during 2015-2024 periods.
“Among the key parameters which will be covered in the census are information on residences, households, and individuals,” she explained.
The Census 2020 project is the largest involving various agencies and procedures as well as covering all individuals and residential places all over the nation.
Also present at the press conference were DOSM population statistics and demographics division assistant director Zainal Abidin Abd Mutalib, DOSM Sarawak assistant director Siti Erfina Kadri, and Sarawak Social Welfare Department representatives.
