PENANG is heading towards a cashless society as eWallet is being promoted to facilitate payment within the local market.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he welcomed the transformation that would take place when he officially launched the Touch ‘n Go eWallet at the Hin Bus Depot in George Town today.
The digital payment method can be done at stalls and hawker joints along key heritage streets in George Town such as Chowrasta Market, Armenian Street, Nagore Street as well as Pulau Tikus and Tanjung Tokong.
“Today, we are opening the ‘cashless’ doors for all Penangites, consumers and merchants alike, from the more established big merchants to SMEs, traders and the roadside stalls and mamaks,” Chow said in his speech.
“I am thrilled to see many of our local businesses adopt and implement the Touch ‘n Go eWallet as the digital payment mode helps them innovate and stay relevant in the current market landscape.
“This is a terrific initiative by Touch ‘n Go eWallet to elevate Penang to greater digital heights.
“It will be instrumental in championing the local community, both consumers and businesses, towards adopting a cashless lifestyle!”
Chow said the Federal Government was encouraging Malaysians to embrace a digital payment lifestyle through its recent ‘e-Tunai Rakyat’ initiative.
Through the initiative, a one-off allocation of RM30 is given to each eligible Malaysian via the Touch ‘n Go eWallet (as one of its partners) starting from Jan 15 to March 14.
Chow admitted that he had initial doubts about the change to a cashless way of life; but after hearing and experiencing it himself just how easy and convenient going cashless is, he is all for it.
He even proclaimed Touch ‘n Go’s tagline, “Wa Lai Liow” (loosely translated as I (Touch ‘n Go) have arrived) in his speech.
Penang, he said, is on the cusp of a digital transformation; especially with the launch of the inclusive and holistic ‘Penang2030’ vision.
The vision is a dynamic action plan that focuses on improving liveability, the economy, civic participation and balanced development to achieve a ‘Family-focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation.’
“In line with our existing plan, this partnership with Touch ‘n Go eWallet could not have come at a more opportune time – with cashless transactions eliminating the need for paper receipts.
“With the arrival of an eWallet with its exclusive key features for Malaysians, Penang is becoming a more connected and smarter city.
“It is my vision to propel Penang further in becoming a smart and connected city at the forefront, inspiring the nation towards greater advancement in every aspect,” Chow said.
Touch ‘n Go Digital chief executive officer Ignatius Ong said they wanted to play their part in enabling people to live more seamless, connected lives.
As such, he said they saw it fitting to branch outside of Klang Valley and look into penetrating across the nation and making Touch ‘n Go eWallet an app that is readily available for all kinds of transactions.
He said they were looking at tripling their merchant base in Penang, doubling their existing 110,000 merchants nationwide and increasing their seven million users by 50 per cent within this year.
“We’re passionate about educating Malaysians on the cashless way forward and we’re very excited about our #ClassicGoesCashless efforts, specifically curated for Penangites.
“Touch ‘n Go eWallet is the first and only eWallet that is enabling a more inclusive cashless system in this historic city (Penang). We’re working with the state government to champion a thriving economy – one that is cashless and inclusive.”
Ong, a former Firefly CEO, added that since they had started their efforts in Penang in 2018, they have established partnerships with local startups MULA and DeliverEat.
“It is important to reach out to smaller, homegrown merchants such as the stall operators and hawker-joints so that we can introduce them to a digital payment system.
“We aim to help them innovate and keep up with the latest consumer trends and further stay competitive in the current market landscape.”
In response to a reporter’s question about security features, Ong said Touch ‘n Go eWallet is very safe to use and even assured of money back guarantee if a quick investigation shows that it is not caused by the user’s negligence or fault.
In case of a lost handphone, Ong advised users to quickly borrow another person’s handphone to log into his (borrower’s) account which would automatically log out the account from the lost handphone.
Also present at the launching ceremony were state Works, Utilities and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng, who is also Chow’s political secretary, Penang Island City Council councillor Wong Yuee Harng and Touch ‘n Go chief financial officer Wilson Soon.
After the launch, Chow and the invited guests went about the former bus depot to check out several stalls selling local delights such as char koay teow, laksa, satay and ais kacang and purchasing them via the Touch ‘n Go eWallet.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Law Suun Ting
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis