Recently, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced a major decision to accelerate the promotion of the federal government's electronic payment system (iPayment), aiming to fully cover all federal government departments and agencies by March this year. This measure aims to accelerate the digital transformation of public services in Malaysia and promote the country's move towards a cashless society.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasized during the iPayment promotion ceremony that the government should promote the use of the system as soon as possible to ensure that the people can enjoy the convenience and reform results it brings as soon as possible. He stated that the iPayment system plays a crucial role in promoting the digital transformation of public services, not only improving administrative efficiency and reducing red tape, but also directly benefiting the general public. Therefore, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has requested to advance the promotion of iPayment from the originally scheduled end of April to early March, in order to achieve comprehensive coverage at a faster pace.

It is reported that the iPayment system has made significant progress since its development began in early 2022. In the first stage, the system has successfully opened the online payment function, providing convenient online payment channels for government service users. Starting today, the iPayment system has officially entered its second phase, expanding to include counter payments and mobile applications, further improving payment channels. This means that the public can now use the iPayment system for payment through various methods such as websites, counters, and mobile devices, enjoying a more flexible and diverse payment experience.

During the promotion ceremony, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also mentioned that Malaysia was once far ahead in digitalization progress, but due to various reasons, the pace of development has gradually slowed down. He pointed out that compared with countries such as Estonia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, Malaysia still has a lot of room for improvement in digitalization. Therefore, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasized that Malaysia must catch up, especially in promoting institutional reforms in the public service sector, at an extraordinary pace.

The comprehensive promotion of iPayment system is one of the important measures taken by the Malaysian government to accelerate the pace of digitization. The system provides diversified online payment options for government service users, including debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, online banking, QR code payments, and electronic wallet payments. These payment methods not only meet the needs of different user groups, but also greatly improve payment efficiency and convenience.

In addition, the promotion of iPayment system will also help reduce cash transactions, lower transaction costs, and improve cash flow efficiency. At the same time, recording transaction information through digital means can provide more accurate and comprehensive data support for the government, helping it better formulate policies and optimize services.