Here’s wonderful scenario, taking a road trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang without cash or the need to stop at any ATM’s, just flashing your smartphone at all payment counters along the way. Toll- flash your phone, hungry? stop at R&R, grab a sandwich-flash your phone, pour fuel- flash your phone, a seamless journey at best. While its nothing new, with cashless system already available in Scandinavian countries and parts of Europe, Malaysia could well just join these elite group, very soon.

Transport Minister, Anthony Loke is encouraging for the whole public transportation system of going cashless, from buses, trains, toll roads to rest and relax areas. Private concessionaires operating these businesses are slow to adapt to new technology and have yet to show progress. Even the tolls are still manned in most places. The drive towards a digital nation is pulsating with various Ministry’s already discussing about 5G and IR4.0. For the first time in the nations history, the Government is being proactive with the private sector still in the back seat. Transportation moves the public in the masses, and by going cashless, the convenience will have a quick adoption effect, making ewallet or other payment options become a way of life.

Ewallet operators are spearheading the cashless movement, with Boost, GrabPay and TnG Digital all recipient of the eTunai initiative which is dispersing RM450 million to the public. The providers will now have to get more large scale merchants to accept ewallet as a payment option, including the R&R’s, tolls, public transport, buses, trains and taxi’s. These are the places where the usage is high, very frequent and is much needed.