Ling says in the context of Sabah and Sarawak, having a backup EDC terminal is especially important for retail shops in rural areas.
MIRI (July 25): Selected retail traders included in the Rahmah Basic Contribution (Sara) aid programme should have more than one Electronic Data Capture (EDC) terminal, and a barcode scanner as a backup in case of equipment failure.
An EDC terminal is a device used to process electronic payments for Sara recipients.
According to Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak secretary Alan Ling, in the context of Sabah and Sarawak, having a backup EDC terminal is especially important for retail shops in rural areas.
However, he also describes the requirement to qualify for a backup EDC terminal as ‘unreasonable and illogical’.
“I have been told that only those with over 120 transactions per day are eligible to apply for a second terminal.
“I think this requirement is nonsensical; this is ridiculous.
“We want to make things easier for the people, not make them queue up for long periods at the counter,” said the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak secretary in a statement.
Adding on, he said that he had contacted Yayasan myKASIH regarding this issue.
“Yayasan myKASIH has been entrusted by the federal government to manage the Sara aid via MyKad, enabling the purchase of basic necessities at selected retail stores,” he added.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a one-off SaraRM100 aid for all Malaysians aged 18 and above.
This marked the first time that cash assistance was being disbursed universally to all adult citizens via their MyKad.
Back to the EDC terminal, Ling said some retailers were only provided with a single terminal.
“This is insufficient in handling peak-hour transactions.
“That’s why I got in touch with them (Yayasan myKASIH), asking them whether or not we could request just one backup terminal because traders had been informed that in the event of a technical issue, the equipment must be sent to Kuala Lumpur for repairs, which could take time and cause much inconvenience to both the traders and the consumers.”
Therefore, for Sabah and Sarawak, Ling suggested that an agency or non-governmental organisation (NGO) be appointed to handle the distribution of EDC terminals and barcode scanners under the Sara programme.
“This would ensure better understanding of local needs and challenges, and allow for more responsive support in the event of technical issues.
“It would also enhance the effectiveness of the federal government’s initiative through the involvement of local agencies or NGOs.
“This is a request from the people and from the traders, for the benefit of all.
“We need sufficient terminals and accessible technical support, given the geographical scale and location of Sabah and Sarawak,” he added.
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