KUALA LUMPUR: WITH Hari Raya less than 10 days away, many Muslims in Kuala Lumpur are finding it difficult to get new notes for Hari Raya packets.

Although banks started dispensing new notes only last week, they seemed to already be running low.

Checks at several banks in the city found the new RM5 and RM20 notes were running low since yesterday, and some banks are out new notes completely.

A bank manager in Kampung Baru said his branch had run out of new notes yesterday and claimed that this year, the branch received less new notes compared with last year.

"We did not get much this year. We began allowing customers to change new notes last week and ran out of stock yesterday."

A bank manager in Kelana Jaya said they had started offering new notes last week and ran out two days ago.

"The most popular was the new RM5 notes, which ran out two days ago. Now, there are only RM1, RM10 and RM100 notes left," he said.

Customers at two different banks in Kampung Baru claimed they were not allowed to change new bank notes earlier, but when they tried to do so today, the banks said they were already out of the new notes.

Ahmad Sani Abdullah, 47 said he had come all the way from Shah Alam for the new RM5 and RM20 notes, but to no avail.

"I drove all the way from Shah Alam and I stopped at various banks.

"This Kampung Baru branch is the 10th bank I've been to and still, there are no RM5 or RM20 notes."

Kartini Kamalul Ariffin was among the customers unable to get new Raya notes.

"I needed to run a few errands and since I was here I thought I might as well change some money. It's too bad the new notes are no longer available," she said.

A customer at a Kelana Jaya bank said they would have to make do with the RM1 notes.

"It is a tradition to give new notes in Hari Raya packets but I guess I'm too late because I cannot afford to give out RM10 per packet. So, I'll have to use RM1 notes in all my packets." Bernama