KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has announced that a new toll collection system will roll out by September allowing road users to pay toll charges using debit and credit cards via open payments on five highways.

In a statement today, he said the ministry is currently working to transition to a Multi Lanes Free Flow (MLFF) system.

"Since the beginning of this year, I have ordered planning and discussions with the parties involved as well as highway concession companies to take steps towards the implementation of an open payment system. I have also participated in various discussions that have been held.

"As a result of this discussion, I am pleased to inform you that several highways will implement an open payment system by September 2023.

"The highways in question are the Sungai Besi Highway, the Baru Pantai Highway, the Ampang - Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway, the Guthrie Corridor Highway and the Penang Bridge. Through this open payment system, users can start using debit and credit cards for toll payments,” he said on Facebook today.

Nanta said the government will conduct a proof of concept (POC) for the MLFF system before the end of October 2023 to evaluate the system.

He said that the location of the POC will be finalised soon and pledged that the full implementation of the MLFF system will be no later than the third quarter of next year.

"Through the implementation of MLFF, an open payment system will be implemented for toll collection for all highways in Malaysia and will open up opportunities for more eWallet providers to participate and no longer a monopoly by Touch 'n Go (TnG).

"With that, healthy competition will exist between industry players that will open up more options for highway users to make toll payments while also providing convenience to them,” he added.

Yesterday, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad was reported saying that studies on implementing the MLFF toll collection system will commence in 2024.

He told Parliament that because a RM3.46 billion allocation was involved, the government would not implement the system without any studies conducted.

Last Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the TnG monopoly of the highway toll payments will be reviewed.

Anwar said the system has been in place for over two decades and appeared to have become technologically stagnant, during a youth dialogue session at the Youth Empowerment Fair at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.