From left: Sulastry, Liew and Smith speaking about how they injected startup DNA into the company to develop the MyPay service.
Malaysians will soon be able to pay for fines or loans and check their info with government agencies online via a new integrated platform, MyPay.
The service works as a one-stop portal for payments for 10 connected agencies including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN), or to check their info on the Election Commission or Road Transport Department (JPJ).
MyPay chief executive officer Nick Liew says the service is still in beta and will be launched at the end of this month. It is also targeting to have a payment system that supports online banking, credit cards and e-wallets at launch.
Liew says MyPay is easier to use and more secure as it offers all the services in one location and with only one login. Users can, for instance, check the status of their driving license or voter status, and pay MBPJ (Petaling Jaya City Council) parking fines.
Users will have to pay a fee of about RM0.50 to RM1 per transaction, while the government will absorb the 1.2% transaction fee for payments made via MyPay’s payment gateway. However, just checking your information is free.
Asked if the service would clash with MyEG Services Bhd which offers access to government services such as renewal of vehicle road tax, maid or foreign workers’ permit, and MyKad replacements, Liew says there is only a slight overlap.
He highlights that MyPay is citizen centric, with users requiring ICs to register, while its services also reflect individual customers needs rather than being for businesses. Currently, MyPay only allows for payments and info checks, not end-to-end government services like applying for licenses or scholarships.
The MyPay portal is made and managed by private company Dapat Vista (M) Sdn Bhd – founded in 2000, it has been working with government agencies since 2004 to provide SMS alert services.
“Clearly SMS in today’s age is not the coolest product in the market. When was the last time you sent an SMS?” asks Liew.
Liew, chief technology officer Joshua Smith and launcher Shairazi Sulastry joined the company in April 2018 to inject startup DNA into the company and build the MyPay service.
Liew and Joshua both are formerly from Uber, while Shairazi was with Zalora when it first launched in Malaysia.
Joshua says the company sticks to a high standard of security as there is a lot of sensitive data accessible via the service.
Some of the security features include matching a user’s MyKad number to a unique phone number and email address, sending TAC codes via mobile, and using facial recognition when registering users.
He says users will be required to take a selfie and the system will use AI (artificial intelligence) to check if it matches the applicant’s Mykad photo. Should the match fail because the MyKad photo is too old, the team will then do a manual check.
You can register for early access at the company’s mobile-only website (www.mypay.com.my) using the preview code 'MYPAYPREVIEW', and the company expects to have a mobile app and a desktop version of its site in 12 months.
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