After months of development, Malaysia is set to roll out a mobile application designed to be a digital gateway to government services.
The mobile app will launch in July and serve as a digital portal to a raft of government services. Dubbed MyGov Malaysia, pundits say the app will focus on seven key areas, supporting the Southeast Asian country’s push for wholesale digitization.
Firstly, residents can use the mobile application for passport applications and road tax renewals. Furthermore, the app will support driver’s license applications, land assessment dues, and taxes, and summons payments.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo remarked that residents can also use the mobile app for medical appointments and histories. The Minister disclosed that Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah, the country’s cash assistance program, will be supported on MyGov Malaysia.
“This is part of the government’s plan to transform Malaysia into a digital nation,” said Deo. “It is only right to ensure we have a single platform where Malaysians can deal with various government agencies seamlessly.”
Apart from the seven core functionalities, the Minister confirmed that MyGov Malaysia will link with the national digital ID system, MyDigital ID. Flowing from the integration, citizens can seamlessly log in to MyGov Malaysia to verify their identities and access public services.
Malaysia is exploring the use of blockchain technology for identity management to stifle incidents of fraud. Nearly 2 million residents have been onboarded to the digital ID system linked to 34 government systems.
Malaysia is learning from the progress recorded by Estonia and Norway in digitizing public services signing a series of MoUs with European countries.
Malaysia doubles down on digitization
The Southeast Asian country, keen to catch up with regional leaders, is sinking funds to quicken the pace of digitization. Malaysia is exploring using blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) to fight corruption and train financial regulators on emerging technology use cases.
In April, the country’s central bank confirmed plans to experiment with tokenization for on-chain settlement. On the other hand, the Malaysian parliament is pursuing comprehensive digital asset regulation to accelerate the growth of the industry.
Outside of finance, the local food industry is turning to blockchain to verify halal certificates, clamping down on food fraud. There are plans for a national blockchain infrastructure to support the integration of the technology across key sectors of the Malaysian economy.
Belgium partners with Travel Ledger to digitize payment for tour operators
Travel Ledger will provide an automated settlement system for travel agents and tour operators across the continent. The B2B service provider offers tour operators a secure digital payment solution tailored to the peculiarities of their operations.
Operators will reap the benefits of improved cash flow stemming from real-time transactions.
ECTAA and Travel Ledger say they will partner with national associations to accelerate the integration of digital payment solutions. The ECTAA-Travel Ledger partnership will host webinars, case studies, and industry events to educate and highlight the successes of digital payments for the sector.
“Modernizing payment processes is crucial for improving operational efficiency and ensuring financial stability,” said Eric Drésin, Secretary General of ECTAA. “This cooperation will offer tangible solutions that will benefit our members across Europe, reinforcing the importance of digital payment strategies in European travel news.”
Belgium is at the fore of payment innovation in the European Union (EU), leaning on blockchain for innovative use cases. Despite the push for payment innovation, Belgian authorities are cautious toward digital assets, cracking down on scam websites.
A spike in digital solutions for the travel industry
After taking a massive hit to revenues from COVID-19, the travel industry is in search of innovative solutions, with pacesetters turning to digital payment solutions. Airports are embracing digital IDs to offer seamless travel experiences for users, while airlines are using blockchain for customer rewards.
In Thailand, authorities are piloting digital currencies for payments to improve the local tourism sector. Digital solutions like Cambodia’s Bakong are triggering a surge in local tourist metrics, but a report is urging tourists to still carry cash during black swan events.
Watch: Digital identity is a core part of Web3 — here’s why
