KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Prasarana Malaysia Berhad is in the final stages of procuring a new open payment system that will allow commuters in the Klang Valley and Penang to pay for rail and bus fares using debit and credit cards, mobile wallets, and QR codes, Transport Minister Anthony Loke told Parliament today.

The initiative was first announced in 2023, and Loke at the time said a new payment system was needed to modernise fare collection across public transport networks operated by Rapid Rail and Rapid Bus by integrating more payment methods alongside existing options.

“This project is currently in the final stages of the procurement and evaluation process, with a decision expected to be finalised by the end of this year,” Loke replied to a query during Question Time.

“The implementation timeline is lengthy to ensure Prasarana’s full compliance with internal procurement standard operating procedures and guidelines, guaranteeing that the procurement process is conducted transparently.”

Once implemented, passengers will be able to pay using MyDebit cards, EMV-based international credit and debit cards, the minister said.

Payment service providers that could be employed would include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, and JCB, as well as contactless NFC devices and mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Alipay.

Loke said the new system will also support QR code ticketing, QR-based payments, Touch ‘n Go cards, and other future approved payment mediums.

The move came following years of calls for a better payment system as public transport users complained about the continued reliance on cash and a limited card-based payment through Touch ‘n Go, which they said causes unnecessarily long queues at the payment gates.

Some Opposition MPs had questioned why Prasarana still has adopted an open payment system, but Loke said the implementation process requires significant time to ensure full compliance with internal procurement standard operating procedures and governance guidelines.