Government to review Touch 'n Go's monopoly on tolls and public transport – prime minister Anwar Ibrahim – paultan.org

Prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said the government will review the monopoly that Touch ‘n Go (TnG) has in Malaysia. This was revealed during a Q&A session at the recent Youth Empowerment Fair 2023, with Anwar responding to a participant that highlighted the matter.

During the session, the participant asked if there were any plans to end TnG’s monopoly on payment systems for the country’s transport and road systems. He added that debit and credit cards can be used in many places like petrol stations and parking lots, but TnG has only been the only contactless payment option for toll payments and public transport.

“You see, Touch ‘n Go has been in operation for more than two decades and there has not been convincing development or progress in the system. I think you are right, we will have to reconsider that,” Anwar answered.

There has been progress in providing alternative payment options in recent times. For instance, the newly opened MRT Putrajaya Line accepts debit and credit card payments, while back in 2020, Rapid KL trialled MyDebit card readers so commuters could pay with their ATM cards.

Meanwhile, works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said last month that motorists will be free to use any digital mode of payment with the introduction of the multi-lane free flow (MLFF) in 2025. He said that talks on an open payment system between the works ministry and the ministry of finance as well as related concessionaires are being ramped up, and that a pilot project to enable payments through various digital payment providers would be conducted as soon as possible.

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