Nearly 500,000 Malaysians have begun to file the Malaysian Population and Housing Census 2020 (Census 2020) online (e-Census) since July 7, said Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin.

However, he said the number was still below the target considering the recorded number of the Malaysian population of about 32 million people.

"I see a trend that when there is a long time frame (for a deadline), we feel there is still some more time left. But even at the early stage, we have anticipated it (this matter), so we are intensifying promotions to raise public awareness.

"Like today we have a programme with Cuepacs (the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services) to promote this to civil servants," he said at a press conference after attending the Cuepacs Congress Council Meeting and Census Implementation Promotion here today.

Mohd Uzir, who is also the Census 2020 commissioner, has asked about 1.62 million civil servants to spread the word about the system to their family members and others they are in contact with.

"If the number of e-Census filings can reach 20 million, the implementation of the house-to-house census will be easier in October because there will be only more than 10 million households left.

"Besides that, we may also be able to release the findings of the preliminary results (of the census) and it can be one of the country's successes when we can conduct a census in the current situation (COVID-19 pandemic threat)," he explained.

Meanwhile, he is optimistic that more people will use the e-Census in an effort to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

The sixth national census involves about 32.7 million people and nine million residential areas in two phases. The first phase from July 7 to Sept 30 is done through e-Census, while the second phase will be from Oct 7 to 24 using face-to-face interview methods.

- BERNAMA