Many Malaysians waited with anxious fervour for the promised RM100 (~US$21.4) from the eMadani cash redemption initiative that is set to rollout on December 4 2023. That day came and it didn’t hit a huge high like many expected due to how, within the first hour, the apps linked to a bank and an oil and gas brand crashed as users overloaded the servers.
It’s not surprising that Malaysians had mixed experiences and took to social networks to express both their joy and disappointment. After all, the countdown from the four designated e-wallet platforms — Touch’n’Go (TNG) eWallet, ShopeePay, Maybank MAE, and PETRONAS Setel — had reached a fever pitch due to how all of them drummed up the excitement over the last week.
As the other two platforms have fintech backgrounds and extensive experiences with possible system outages due to major user activity spikes, they have been ready for any possible surge. It might seem like home-runs but they too fell short as the tie-in bonuses, such as vouchers and discount offers, are only available via in-app purchases or exclusive tie-ins to their respective platforms.
Beyond crashed and overloaded servers, the eMadani cash redemption initiative is also rejecting applicants who have met all the criteria. For those that have applied and received funds from the eBeliaRahmah programme, which launched earlier this year, they officially do not qualify for the eMadani support facility.
As for other issues that Malaysians applying for the eMadani cash programme are likely to face include being rejected without probable cause or facing perpetual delays when getting that critical approval. While the latter has no direct method to address the delays, the former can be revisited when an appeal is submitted.
Here are the methods to consider when sending in their dispute to the rejection:
- Touch’n’Go eWallet: Submit an appeal request via the TNG eWallet app
- ShopeePay: Contact the customer service team on the Shopee app
- PETRONAS Setel: Send an appeal to [email protected]
- Maybank MAE: Connect with Maybank Group Customer Care via phone or email ([email protected])
Notably, there are also instances where there are payment errors for those who tried to use the funds from the eMadani programme. Some have even contributed to the growing negativity for this initiative, sharing how they can’t make payment with partner merchants; how the entire experience is not seamless — from the application, to receiving, and then using the cash; and why there process is not fully transparent on how the approval works.
With how eMadani is slowly gaining notorierity among Malaysians, it is clear that improvements must be considered and implemented. This has to be based on the feedback that is now being widely shared over the last few days. At press time, there are no indicators that there will be a user limit to the eMadani programme so Malaysians who have yet to apply can do so right now and over the coming weeks.
Please take note that the programme will close on February 20 2024 (Tuesday) at 11:59pm and the closing date to spend the cash allocation is set for February 29 2024 (Thursday), also specifically at 11:59pm.