BUTTERWORTH: Malaysians should be given the option of choosing between cashless and cash transactions when making payments to government agencies.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said government departments, which are moving towards cashless transactions, should provide such an option to the public.
“For me, personally, I am the traditional type. I prefer to pay in cash.
“But the public should be given an option, especially rural folks or the older generation, as they are still not very used to (cashless payment). It should be done gradually, in phases.
“We can’t avoid it. It has to be cashless, but I think we should give options (for now),” he said after a working visit to the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) here, today.
Pressed on whether there is a timeline for government departments to go completely cashless, Lim said it would depend on the individual department.
He added that in the case of the Immigration Department, the matter is under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry.
The New Straits Times reported that while the move towards cashless transactions has commenced in government departments in Kedah, the public can still make payments in cash – at least until in the middle of the year.
The Immigration Department in Shah Alam has also been actively encouraging cashless transactions since late last year, with various banners displayed to create awareness on the matter.
The department, however, will only go into full cashless mode for its services in July this year.
Meanwhile, the National Registration Department there, kick-started cashless transactions last month. However, cash payments are still accepted.
There have been concerns over how the move would affect rural folks or the older generation once the cashless transaction method is fully implemented.
Lim said he is quite sympathetic towards that, as he, too, is old and prefers to make payments in cash.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to believe in digital (technology). How it could take away our money. How are we supposed to know?
“So (again) I think we should give options. For young people (like you all), no problem, but for older people like us, it’s different,” he added.