MELAKA: The e-Tunai Rakyat programme kicked off with a bang on Jan 15 with 4.8 million applications submitted as of yesterday to redeem RM30 from the government via the respective e-wallets.
To date, 3.5 million applications have been approved, but the rakyat have been urged to look beyond the RM30 in order to understand and rake in the real benefits of the e-Tunai Rakyat programme.
Melaka Smart City Advisory Council chairman Khoo Poay Tiong described the programme as part of the government’s strategy to drive economic growth by strengthening the digital economy, and that it is essential for the rakyat to jump on the bandwagon.
The Kota Melaka MP said promoting the e-wallet is crucial to ensure that Malaysians are not left behind as the world moves towards the digital economy which is estimated to be worth US$3 tril (RM12.21 tril) today and growing.
“The digital economy will be a critical factor in whether Malaysia can move from a middle-income to a high-income nation. To ensure that Malaysia is not left behind, the government has made the digital economy a priority for economic growth in 2020,” he said.
The government, he noted, had allocated RM450 mil for the e-Tunai Rakyat programme as part of the effort to encourage the rakyat to make digital payments as well as encourage more traders and merchants to register on the platforms, thus moving the nation towards a cashless society.
Khoo asserted that nowadays apps such as Whatsapp and Grab, as well as payment systems like credit card, debit card and online banking, are widely used while in the near future, e-wallets may be the main method to conduct transactions around the world.
“It may be the next big thing which will improve our lives. We should equip ourselves with e-wallets and be ready to leverage on the current and future benefits that it will bring,” he urged.
At the same time, he said, SMEs must adopt new technologies to remain relevant and to capture the opportunities offered by the growing digital economy.
“Digitalisation will also help SMEs reduce transaction and administrative time. From a macroeconomic perspective, the RM450 mil allocated for the e-Tunai Rakyat programme is a mini-stimulus package by the government to drive consumer spending.
“This will hopefully stimulate the economy in the first quarter of 2020, as the RM30 incentive must be spent by March 14, 2020. In conclusion, the e-Tunai Rakyat is not just about the RM30 incentive. Rather, it is part of a well thought out policy to strengthen our digital economy and to build a digital society,” Khoo said.
Nur Mardhiah Ismail, 44, a college administration officer from Ayer Molek here, said Malaysians are on the right path to becoming a cashless society where online payment platforms are a major backbone to e-commerce activity.
“It can be done because Malaysians are already familiar with cashless payments. The e-Tunai Rakyat is not just the government giving rakyat RM30, it will empower the people to face the fast changing digital economy,” she said.
S.Kavichelvan, 58, a retired teacher from Tengkera, said one of the challenges that the e-Tunai Rakyat faces is the rakyat’s perception that hinders them from using e-wallets, especially in terms of security.
“Being cautious is good but platforms in e-Tunai Rakyat are approved by the government so it is safe,” he said.
“People say it is just RM30 and they can live without it, but they are wrong. It is more that RM30, it is a boost for us to change for the better and teaches us to grab the opportunity in this digital economy,” he stressed. – Jan 23, 2020, Bernama
