Time to go for Touch ‘n Go

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Hello reader,

When I was younger, my parents would take my siblings and I up to Malaysia for a short holiday every now and then. As a kid, a multiple-hour drive up to Kuala Lumpur or Malacca was mind-numbingly boring, so I’d often take the opportunity to observe my surroundings during the drive.

One thing I noticed, of course, were the toll stations. That, as well as the big “Touch ‘n Go” signboards. I didn’t understand the concept of a monopoly at the time, so the only impressions I had were:

• Wow, this company is everywhere!
• That’s a really … eye-catching color scheme.

Fast forward some 20 years, and the Malaysia trips eventually died down. Recently, however, I took a trip to Port Dickson, and I was surprised not by the fact that Touch ‘n Go was still around, but that it continues to be the sole payment provider for the country’s toll booths.

After all, we’ve seen a whirlwind of development in the region’s digital payments space. Surely there had to be other forms of paying your dues while driving on Malaysia’s highways. Apparently not, it seems.

However, that’s all about to change soon, as the Malaysian government has just announced that it would be reviewing the company’s monopoly. Today’s story explores what this means for Malaysia’s transportation payment infrastructure.

Today we look at:

• Touch ‘n Go losing its iron grip on payments
• Line Corporation and Mizuho Financial Group putting their joint project on hold
• Other newsy highlights such as an Indonesia-based social commerce startup ceasing operations and a funding round for an Indonesian digital exchange platform.

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Pay US$2 if you pass Touch ‘n Go.

Image credit: Timmy Loen

I really like Monopoly – the board game, not the situation in which one company has exclusive control of a service, which is what Touch ‘n Go (TNG) has. Now, if only I had friends to play it with…

Ha, ha, ha…

Putting it on hold

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