Hong Leong Bank x PayNet Transformed Sekinchan to First Cashless Kampung in Malaysia

Recently I went to Sekinchan and had so much fun! Do you know that Sekinchan is the First Cashless Kampung in Malaysia? Now I can pay for my makan and purchases at the hawker, warung, kedai makan, restaurants, even at the stalls in the pasar, donation to the temple, and many more via cashless payment. Hong Leong Bank partners PayNet to transform Sekinchan into the First Cashless Kampung in Malaysia.

Sekinchan to First Cashless Kampung in Malaysia 

Best kan, consumer don’t have to carry so much cash around and the kampung business owners get digitalise their businesses. Well, as part of ongoing efforts to provide access to financial services in non-urban areas, Hong Leong Bank Berhad (HLB) has formed a partnership with Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) to roll out the first ‘Project Cashless Kampung’ at Sekinchan, Selangor, the first non-urban area to be cashless enabled. 

Hong Leong Bank x PayNet Transformed Sekinchan to First Cashless Kampung in Malaysia
Making donation at the Chinese Temple via cashless payment

This project aims to champion financial inclusion in the small town by ensuring all 24,000 Sekinchan residents have access to full-fledged banking facilities and services and, empowering 800 small business owners to digitalise their businesses through the acceptance of cashless and contactless payments. 

Pasar Awam Sekinchan

Through this ‘Project Cashless Kampung’, HLB empowers the business community across paddy and fruit farming to fisheries and tourism in capturing more opportunities to grow their business by accepting cashless payments, especially now as Malaysian consumers are increasingly preferring cashless and contactless. 

Selangor State Assemblyman of Sekinchan, Mr. Ng Suee Lim with flowers seller at Pasar Awam Sekinchan

I personally find cashless is more convenient, fast, and save than cash, because I don’t have to carry so much cash with me whenever I travel or go out. This move will help further build Sekinchan’s thriving community and increase its popularity as a tourist destination offering cashless convenience for visitors.

The places that we visited in Sekinchan 

Pasar Awam Sekinchan 

Breakfast at LaFamilia Cafe 

Pantai Redang Sekinchan 

Chinese Temple in Sekinchan 

Mural 

Seafood Lunch at Kayapo

Paddy Gallery 

Selangor State Assemblyman of Sekinchan, Mr. Ng Suee Lim with the owners of LaFamilia Cafe, Sekinchan

During my visit, Selangor State Assemblyman of Sekinchan, Mr. Ng Suee Lim was also there to share about the digital transformation journey and how this will benefit the small town. According to Mr. Ng, currently there are about 50% businesses started to go cashless and it will grow to up 70% or 80%. 

Some breakfast menu at LaFamilia Cafe, delicious ikan bakar pari and cencaru with sambal jahat

Domenic Fuda, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HLB said the partnership with PayNet to transform Sekinchan into the first cashless kampung in Malaysia, is in line with the Bank’s ‘Digital at the Core’ strategy and ESG values to drive both digital and financial inclusion in the communities the Bank operates in.  

“While there is a clear shift towards digital and cashless payment methods in Malaysia, there is still a lower rate of adoption in rural areas which this initiative aims to address as part of the Bank’s effort to drive financial inclusion in the country. We also believe that financial inclusion does not simply stop at cashless penetration and adoption. It also involves increasing access to fair banking opportunities as well as financial education for young digital natives to nurture money-and digital-smart future generations so that no one is left behind in this digital economy.” said Fuda.

Kayapo Seafood Restaurant 

Some of the Seafood Dishes we had at Kayapo Seafood Restaurant 

The initial phase will see HLB facilitating the opening of bank accounts and debit cards issuance for the Sekinchan community, without them needing to visit a bank branch. 

For the business community, the Bank will be equipping all 800 businesses with an HLB DuitNow starter kit which includes a DuitNow QR for businesses to accept contactless QR payments from mobile banking apps and eWallets, as well as the All-in-One Payment Terminal that accepts both card and QR payments. 

Flea market vendors around Pantai Redang Sekinchan tourist spots 

HLB will first focus on pasar, hawker and flea market traders before equipping other local businesses in the area that are yet to be cashless enabled including schools. 

The Chinese Temple and Wishing Tree in Sekinchan
We can use cashless payment at the temple for purchase and donation

Farhan Ahmad, Group Chief Executive Officer of PayNet added, "Our Digital Payments Insights Study released earlier this year noted the urban-rural divide in cashless adoption still exists, with nearly two-thirds of Malaysians in non-urban areas still preferring cash to pay for daily expenses whereas only 36.2% in urban areas still pay cash for their daily spending. 'Project Cashless Kampung' is aimed at closing that gap by the adoption of cashless payments via DuitNow QR or with their MyDebit ATM cards. To optimize impact, we intend to take the key learnings and expand this Project to other non-urban areas." 

Paddy Gallery in Sekinchan

Sekinchan Fragrant Rice, local fragrant rice

PayNet is the operator of DuitNow QR, the nation’s inter-operable QR standard and MyDebit ATM services.

For more information about Hong Leong Bank x PayNet Transformed Sekinchan to First Cashless Kampung in Malaysia, please visit Hong Leong Bank Malaysia Website, Facebook, and Instagram #cashlesssekinchan #hlbcashless #cashlesslagisenang