Spare a thought for senior citizens

ACCORDING to reports in the local dailies, the Immigration Department is actively encouraging cashless transactions at its service counters and that the system would probably be fully implemented by July this year.

Many Malaysians, especially senior citizens, have vehemently voiced their reservations to this unilateral decision to implement the cashless system, citing practical inconveniences and that they would prefer for the department to take a soft approach because many still want to use cash.

It would seem the Immigration Department is not giving due consideration and discretion to the public in its implementation of the cashless system.

Ministers seem to have lost touch with the grassroots. A fine example was the response by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng when this matter was brought to his attention.

Instead of providing a solution, he placed the blame squarely on the Home Ministry.

For general information, the Immigration Department comes under the purview of the Home Minister who is a member of the Cabinet.

I would like to ask if members of the Cabinet really care for the rakyat. If so, they could have easily discussed this matter at the weekly Cabinet meeting and issue a directive to the Immigration Department to continue accepting cash payments while providing an option for cashless payments. It would seem more practical and considerate this way.

If the Cabinet can’t practise discretion and display a caring nature, then I would urge the members to cease their sermons on caring for senior citizens. Or are they waiting for a social uproar before they comprehend the issue, simple as it may seem?