Anyone received new Malaysia coins in circulation today? You most probably will get the new coins from your bank, pasar malam (night market), wet market or from a friends who in a shock after seeing the beautiful coins in its hands. In an early statement by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), new coin start circulate 16 January 2012. The new coins to be introduced into circulation in phases are legal tender and will co-circulate with the old series. The old Bunga Raya coins and Parliament coins series will be gradually phased out. You can still use the old coins in your dailly transaction.
Thank you to Bank Negara Malaysia for the beautiful Malaysia coin 2012 designs. I really like the new 50 sen design, hope it will help to reduce counterfeiting. The main concern for everyone with the new coins coming into circulation is if vending machine will accept it. BNM in its statement said machine vendors had been given sufficient time to calibrate their machines to accept these new coins. Almost all the new coins are smaller and lighter then the old coins. Most vending machine vendors in Malaysia will only calibrate their machine after the new coins start to circulate.
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) group director for Rail Division, Khairani Mohamed in a statement to Bernama said they will only completed their machine calibration for the new coins in mid-March. Commuters using Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) for single journey tickets on the LRT will need to continue using the old coins before the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) Integrated Ticket System are upgraded to accept the new coins issued by BNM. You can change your new coins for the old coins, at the ticketing counter.
The new AFC TVMs will not be able to accept new coins issued by BNM until all the equipment has been upgraded and calibrated, as we do not want to compromise on the convenience and comfort of our commuters. Khairani said INDRA-IRIS AFC Consortium (IIAC), the contractor for the project, had been asked to make their recommendations and take immediate steps to upgrade the system to allow the calibration for the new coins and bank notes. For the new bank notes, which are scheduled to be issued out by BNM in June, Khairani said the TVMs should be able to accept the new bank notes by July upon completion of the calibration exercise. Under the AFC Integrated Ticketing System, Rapidkl operates 283 Ticket Vending Machines, which are strategically located within its 49 LRT stations and 11 monorail stations.
Source: Bernama, BNM.
