Opposition MP’s comment that RFID stands for ‘Reverse, Forward, InsyaAllah Detect’ sparks laughter in Dewan Rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Lawmakers in Dewan Rakyat burst into laughter after an Opposition MP jokingly gave RFID a new definition which is “Reverse, Forward, InsyaAllah Detect” instead of “radio frequency identification”.

Perikatan Nasional's (PN) Masjid Tanah lawmaker Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin raised concerns with the Works Ministry on whether the government had randomly audited or checked if the RFID toll lanes are functioning properly.

“On the way to Parliament this morning, I saw two cars (stuck) at RFID lanes at the toll plaza in Sentul at about 9.29am.

“I shared this with Hulu Terengganu, and he said that RFID does not mean radio frequency identification but instead it's 'Reverse, Forward, InsyaAllah Detect',” she told the Parliament, which drew laughter from the lower House.

"InsyaAllah" is the term used in Arabic meaning "if God wills it", but is usually used in the Malay context to refer to something that is uncertain and left to fate.

She highlighted that the issue has been raised by members of the public numerous times and asked the Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad when the Multi-Lane Fast Flow (MLFF) will be implemented.

Abdul Rahman then replied that he also has experienced the issue with RFID toll lanes himself and will address the matter in the Cabinet.

“Several issues pertaining to this had been brought to the Cabinet via the works minister.

“The government is currently finalising the use of MLFF and it is expected to be implemented earlier by the end of 2024 or early 2025,” the minister said.

He also said that the government is yet to decide whether MLFF is going to replace the existing toll collection methods via Touch 'n Go, RFID or Smart tag lanes.

The government is fine-tuning the proposed implementation of the MLFF toll collection system for the convenience of highway users, said Abdul Rahman.

He said in line with the government's intention to implement the MLFF in 2025, the payment options for consumers will be diversified and not limited to one payment provider scheme as implemented currently.