The fact that we are second only to China is mind boggling but truly, digital transactions are a thing here. I can just send money to my friends via a few taps on the phone. I forgot how cash looks like π.
I also watched a Canadian telling Malaysians how amazed he was that we could pay for parking with a card while they still struggle with coin machines (I can't believe that's true personally lol).
In Malaysia, in some parking lots, you can just drive in and a machine would record your car plate no, and you can choose to pay by QR (phone transaction) or card (either credit card or touch n go). The days of fighting with a ticket machine is in the past, tho a recent one.
I am grateful for all this btw. I usually go for walks with my phone and have breakfast at the town centre nearby, and just pay everything with my phone. All these changes happened quickly, in a matter of years.
Now, we can also use Alipay via our local apps so that we can transact easily when in China, so cross border QR payments are a thing now too.
https://mysinchew.sinchew.com.my/news/20250317/mysinchew/6380697
