The public have been urged to contact the Department of Statistics hotline if enumerators did not visit their homes to carry out the population census which ended yesterday.

Census commissioner and chief statistician Wan Ramlah Wan Abdul Raof said since some areas were not covered during the period due to time constraint and lack of manpower, those not visited should contact the department's hotline.

"When enumerators decide to quit in the midst of the census, we were burdened with the task of employing new enumerators and training them. But it consumed a lot of time.

"So, those who are left out should call the hotline to provide their information," she told Bernama in Kuala Lumpur today and urged the public to contact the toll-free number 1-800-88-77828 or email their details to banci2010@stats.gov.my.

About 26,000 enumerators under the supervision of 3,000 superiors had carried out the population census from July 6 to Aug 22, involving about 9 million households and 29 million people, at a cost of RM200.2 million.

The population census is conducted every 10 years and this year's census was the fifth since 1963.

This year the population census also achieved a milestone by including even the homeless for the first time, to ensure the number of vagrants in the country.

Wan Ramlah said though the population census exercise was over, the department's staff would visit places that have been left out.

- Bernama