Conscious of addressing these challenges, the finance ministry (MoF) in a statement announced that approximately two million Malaysian youths will receive RM150 e-wallet credit from mid-April.
The government launched a similar programme in 2021 to aid youths in their daily spending and deepen the penetration of digital spending by using e-wallets to disperse the cash in a safe and secure manner.
Among the participating wallets was ShopeePay, also named a partner in this year’s programme. In the rollout last year, ShopeePay recorded almost a million youths claiming their eBelia credit through the e-wallet.
Additionally, the programme succeeded in generating sales amounting to 120% of the total amount disbursed by MoF through ShopeePay. Approximately, 140,000 sellersand traders that accept ShopeePay benefited from the eBelia programme. Given the success and ahead of the impending launch by MoF this year, we interviewed several participants of the eBelia programme to understand the benefits of the incentive for youths in Malaysia.
Recent Sunway University graduate Megat Irfan said, “I am an avid shopper on Shopee. So, when I heard that ShopeePay is part of eBelia, I was excited to claim the credits under ShopeePay. Now, not only do I get to spend with ShopeePay, I also am able to get rewards i.e. coins from the platform. I like that I am able to utilise the credits on the platform, at the same time pay offline via the extra vouchers that I received.”
With QR codes becoming an increasingly popular payment option for their speed and ease-of-use, ShopeePay is compatible with most other QR platforms including DuitNow. This unique interoperability feature allows users to access more goods and services virtually anywhere, both online and offline.
Head of ShopeePay Malaysia Alain Yee confirmed, “We are now accepted at over 750,000 touchpoints nationwide and can be used to make a payment at petrol stations, F&B outlets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, bookstores and more. ShopeePay is happy to collaborate with the finance ministry again this year. As e-wallets increasingly become a norm, we hope that the convenience and security that they offer will entice students to participate and claim their credits via ShopeePay.”
Another e-Belia 2021 ShopeePay claimant, Nur Aleesya Awatif Mohamad Nasaruddin, 21, shared, “I am not yet an avid user of e-wallets. The first time, I decided to redeem my e-Belia with ShopeePay because I knew that there are a variety of things I can purchase with my e-Belia credits..
“After using it, however, I realise the benefits. Now with ShopeePay, I can also instantly order food through ShopeeFood which is also one of my favourite features on Shopee. Nowadays, most retail stores also accept payment from ShopeePay, so I can easily go to any store and do my shopping especially now that it’s Ramadhan,” she added.
With the upcoming ePemula programme expected to launch soon, the timing of the programme could not be more apt in time for the festive celebration of Ramadan and Hari Raya. More news is expected to follow and some users are hoping that participating e-wallets will continue to offer benefits to their users this year as well.
For more information, users can check the updates on the Shopee website for further follow-up announcements by the government: https://shopee.com.my/m/epemula