Malaysians Give Thumbs Up to New Banknotes

PETALING JAYA, (Selangor, Malaysia) July 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysians who saw the new banknotes unveiled by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) on Monday have given their thumbs up, saying the design, colours, printing and artwork make them attractive. "I really like their colours, they are lovely and reflect our country's identity," housewife Norlida Alwi told Bernama. Norlida, of Subang Jaya, was one of the first Malaysians to see the new banknotes when shopping at the Mydin hypermarket in Subang Jaya yesterday. She said the orange RM20 notes are particularly attractive, besides being more convenient and saving space in her wallet. The depiction of Malaysia's cultural, traditional and natural elements could also help foreigners know our country better, she added. Another housewife, Rama A/P Chinnathambi, 40, who was shopping for her son's birthday, said she was impressed by the quality of the paper used, making the notes more durable and less prone to tearing. Wendy Low, 20, of Terengganu, said she was pleasantly surprised to see the turtles on the back of the RM20 note. "All my life I have never seen a RM20 note, now I have the opportunity to own some, and I'm happy with the depiction of the Hawksbill and Leatherback turtles, they remind me of my home state," she said. Themed "Distinctively Malaysia", the latest banknotes series draws its inspiration from the country's diverse culture, heritage and nature, and uses the latest technology to enhance security features. These include shadow image, clear window, watermark portrait with pixel and highlighted numerals, colour shifting security thread, micro lens thread, perfect see-through register and coloured glossy patch. The visually impaired are able to identify and distinguish the different denominations by touch. The new banknotes series comprises denominations of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 and RM100. The RM20 note is reintroduced in this new series, and polymer substrate is used for the RM1 and RM5 notes. A BNM official who declined to be identified said the new banknotes have a modern look with advanced security features. "We want to facilitate our consumers' transactions," she said. The central bank has urged all relevant parties to expedite their machine calibration to accept the new banknotes for the convenience of the public. The new banknotes will be circulated with the existing ones which remain as legal tender. --BERNAMA