Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Malaysia has launched the 5th Population and Housing Census 2010, with technology making it possible for Internet -savvy people to offer online information.
The census which covers the whole of Malaysia and deals with an estimated 28.3 million people, was launched at the Putra World Trade Centre by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop. “This is a really big and complex operation and includes every single resident in Malaysia whether here illegally or illegally,” the minister said. Chief Statistician and Census Commissioner Datuk Wan Ramlah Wan Abd Raof said preparations for the census began as far back as 2005, when the mapping of living quarters using GIS technology took place in collaboration with University Technology Mara.
According to enumerator Abdul Rahim Abdul Wahab, many people they approached while conducting the first census rounds were technology savvy and had asked directly if they could do it online. The new E-census method is an alternative to filling in the questionnaire which comes in a DOPU (drop off pick up) package. Both online and paper questionnaire format are new methods brought in this year to accompany the traditional interview technique employed by enumerators.
The census involves 29,000 enumerators and their supervisors trickling through neighborhood streets and high rise buildings to gather information that will be used in all aspects of planning.
Source: thesundaily.com
