He said 60% of the government’s collections was through e-payment as of the end of 2020.

“This will lead to higher transactional security, better coordination, enhanced communication on anti-corruption initiatives and greater ease of sharing information,” he said at the MIA International Accountants Conference 2021 today.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had said all public sector agencies would provide cashless transaction facilities as the “main option” by 2022.

According to Tengku Zafrul, the government has begun to push for digitalisation by shifting to electronic identification cards and modernising the public service delivery to reduce direct contact between citizens and public officials.

He said they had also expedited direct government assistance to ensure “inclusiveness, accessibility, transparency and accountability”.

“So far, direct aid has been carried out mostly on a cashless basis, where applications and payments for Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat and Geran Khas Prihatin are made electronically and online.”

He also acknowledged MIA’s efforts to strengthen the public sector’s financial functions and thanked the accounting profession for its ongoing efforts to support business continuity.

Tengku Zafrul said the government appreciated MIA’s advocacy on tax governance, which focused on addressing non-compliance and systemic inefficiencies.

He also urged all companies to allocate more funds for professional and personal learning to unlock and nurture Malaysia’s talent, in its efforts towards becoming a developed nation.

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