KPDN Wants Touch 'n Go To Sort All Issues Including Renaming Its Visa Card

The Minister of Domestic Trade and Living Cost (KPDN), YB Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub announced on his social media recently his ministry had a Special Task Force meeting with officials from the Ministry of Works, the Malaysian Highway Authority, the Malaysian Competition Commission, and representatives from Touch 'n Go (TNG) chaired by YB Datuk Azman Bin Mohd Yusof, KPDN Secretary General.

The reason for this meeting was to discuss problem the public is facing with TNG with regards multiple issues as listed below:

1. TNG cards and Smart Tag devices in the market hard to obtain readily;

2. TNG Card expiry date not noticed by users especially MyKad users;

3. TNG Card balance refund difficulty to get;

4. Balance transfer to new TNG Card takes a long time;

5. General issues on the use of the TNG Visa Card, especially toll payments;

6. Sale of TNG cards by third parties at hiked up prices;

7. RFID lane routing when facing issues not smooth;

8. Difficulty refilling TNG balance.

   
   

As a result of the meeting the ministry has instructed TNG to increase the number of locations that sell the TNG card as opposed to just the facilities currently available in KL Sentral and Bangsar. TNG was also asked to look into proper notification to its user with regards to users card expiry date and ways to expedite users card balance refunds.

With regards to TNGs new TNG Visa Card, the group has been advised to properly inform the users that it is now like the typical TNG card and cannot be used for toll and public transport payment but functions like a typical Visa card for goods and service payment plus cash withdrawal where possible. KPDN further explained that it has advised TNG to rename the TNG Visa as for the time being the name is confusing its users who are expecting the card to function similarly as their current TNG cards.

KPDN has also issued a stern warning to all TNG Card resellers who are selling the cards at a premium to seize and remove their advertisements. Any resellers would have to obtain the permission of TNG before doing so. Moving forward, KPDN Enforcement Division will start taking legal action against all TNG card retailers who price the cards above the price set by TNG in accordance with the Price Control and Anti Profiteering Act 2011.

TNG is given a one week period to come up with a follow-up action plan based on the issued tabled. On the topic of RFID lanes in toll plazas, The Ministry of Public Works (KKR) would continue studying on how to completely transform all toll payments to RFID but would require toll concessionaires to further improve the capabilities of the existing RFID scanning technology to avoid congestion.