The next time you have a plate of aromatic char kuay teow, all you’ll need to do is whip out your smartphone to pay. The iconic and historic island of Penang is going cashless, thanks to a partnership between Touch ‘n Go eWallet and the Penang State Government. Touch ‘n Go eWallet is the first and only digital payment method to be available across stalls and hawker centres such as Chowrasta Market, Armenian Street, Nagore Street, as well as areas in Pulau Tikus and Tanjung Tokong.
Penangites and visitors will be able to enjoy a hassle-free shopping and dining experience by simply scanning the QR code of the merchants, without the need for physical cash.
Touch ‘n Go eWallet’s foray into Penang is in line with the state government’s agenda of “Penang2030”—a long-term action plan that focuses on improving the liveability, economy, civil participation and balanced development to achieve a “family-focused, green and smart state.”
The state has already embarked on a cashless parking system for city council parking lots on the island and Seberang Perai via the Penang Smart Parking mobile app. The cashless system will completely replace the existing scratch coupon system in 2021.
Chief Minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow said, “This is a terrific initiative by TNG Digital to elevate Penang to greater digital heights. We want to thank Touch ‘n Go eWallet for its continued efforts that benefit not only the everyday consumers but also our local merchants.
I am thrilled to see our local businesses adopt and implement the Touch ‘n Go eWallet as their digital payment mode. With yet more upcoming collaborations with TNG Digital to enable more various other partners such as LinkBike and eGovernment services via the Touch ‘n Go eWallet, I believe that Penang will be well on its way to becoming a truly cashless state.”
Touch ‘n Go eWallet first ventured onto the island in 2018 and aims to triple its merchant base in Penang within the coming year. Currently, the leading e-wallet player boasts over 120,000 merchants nationwide, with seven million users on its platform.
Ignatius Ong, CEO of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd said, “We’re truly excited to be bringing our expertise to Penang as this puts us on the right track to achieving our vision of a cashless Malaysia. Our efforts in Penang are unique to Penangites and are for all who reside, work, and travel in this city. Enabling these heritage streets is the continuation of our long-term commitment to drive Penang forward by empowering locals to experience a more convenient, safer and hassle-free way of transacting in their everyday lives.
We want to play an active role in supporting the economic growth of Penang through the facilitation of a digital payment system for local merchants. Homegrown small merchants such as hawker joints and mamak operators will benefit greatly from Touch ‘n Go eWallet as it would help them innovate and stay relevant in the current market landscape. Beyond that, we realised the importance of empowering local startups to cultivate a healthy and thriving business landscape and have established partnerships local, homegrown brands, MULA and DeliverEat.”
The digital payment company is also looking to collaborate further with the state government to enable transactions for various e-government services.
Touch ‘n Go is one of the selected providers in the government’s e-Tunai Rakyat programme that allocates MYR30 e-wallet credit to eligible Malaysians starting 15 January 2020.
Get started
Not yet on board? The Touch ‘n Go eWallet app is available for download for Android and iOS.
