PONTIAN, Johor, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Agrobank launches its flagship Cashless Café & Cooperative Programme in Johor, at Kolej Tingkatan Enam Pontian, a move to further promote financial management knowledge and to encourage the practice of financial digitalisation in a day’s routine among students and higher learning institutions.
President/Chief Executive Officer of Agrobank, Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah Raja Hussin said, the programme was developed specially for students at school and college levels with the objective to inculcate the right financial management culture to ensure the younger generation is equipped with the sufficient knowledge and smart in managing their finances while able to conduct digital transactions on their own.
He added, the Cashless Café & Cooperative Programme involve students and educators from the Kolej Tingkatan Enam Pontian is developed in collaboration with the Kolej Tingkatan Enam Pontian Cooperative, and supported by the Pontian District Education Office, and aims to serve as an introduction to a new medium created specifically for the students in the college regarding the easy management of financial digitisation.
“The students and workforce at the college are now only needed to scan the QR code using their smart phone when making payments at the canteen or cooperative. This concept not only facilitates for purchasing over the counter, but the students and the canteen operator also do not need to prepare small change or balance for any cash payments for all the cashless transactions with the value between RM1 and RM1,000.
“For traders or cafe operators, money from daily business will be deposited directly into the account and they can check their account via online. This facility also helps them monitor their financial records and have a better organised account management,” he said.
The Cashless Café & Cooperative Programme at the Kolej Tingkatan Enam Pontian was officiated by Head of Channel & Distribution of Agrobank, Syed Hairul Anuar Syed Fadzil at the college here today. At the event, Agrobank also handed over zakat contribution of RM8,000.00 to be utilised for the refurbishment of facilities at the Surau Kolej Tingkatan Enam.
Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah added, the Kolej Tingkatan Enam Pontian Cooperative is appointed as the agent to Agrobank or known as AgroAgent which functions as a mini bank at the college where students and employees can walk-in directly to the cooperative for banking transactions as cash depositing and withdrawals from the college cooperative itself.
“The students and college residents now are no longer needed to go to the Bank branch to do their account affairs. The working community at the college can also pay up their utility bill payments and add prepaid value to their phones through the Agrobank AgroAgent,” he further added.
He said, a total of 370 students including 34 college employees have opened a Basic Savings Account-i (Agro BSA-i) savings account with a deposit amount as low as RM30 (RM20 as minimum deposit and RM10 as registration fee for the Agro Visa Debit-i card). This is to enable them to be part of this Cashless Cafe & Cooperative Programme.
“Parents are also able to control and monitor their children's accounts and expenses where they can transfer the money for their children's weekly or monthly expenses through our online transactions or cash deposits at cooperatives which functions as AgroAgents,” he said.
Kolej Tingkatan Enam Pontian is a pioneer in the implementation of this programme. This college is the first educational institution appointed by Agrobank for the implementation of the program in the Pontian District particularly, and in Melaka and Johor in general. This college is also the first Agrobank Agent to be appointed among educational institutions, where previously only business premises and Government organisations were involved.
ABOUT AGROBANKAgrobank is a leader in agriculture financing and values-based banking based (VBI)* in Malaysia. Established in 1969, Agrobank is actively involved in charting the growth and development of Malaysia’s agriculture industry by offering shariah compliant products and solutions across various customer segments including micro, small, medium and large retail and business customers. Agrobank is a full-fledged Islamic bank since 1st July 2015.
As a market driven, customer centric DFI (Development Financial Institution) with a primary focus on strengthening the agriculture sector in Malaysia, Agrobank strikes an equal balance to its developmental and commercial roles to benefit the agriculture sector. Agrobank provides a comprehensive repertoire of financing solutions for the agriculture community; that includes upstream activities related to primary food and commodities-based agriculture activities to downstream activities such as processing, marketing and distribution of agricultural products.
Agrobank also offers retail banking financing solutions to improve the well-being of the agriculture community. This is done through its network of 207 touchpoints up to year 2022 which include 140 branches, 32 kiosks, 19 financing centers and 16 banking touchpoints.
In 2019, Agrobank celebrated its golden jubilee Anniversary, as it marks 50 years of its proud establishment developing the agro industry.
www.agrobank.com.my*VBI or value-based intermediation is an initiative by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) that aims to improve the products and services offered by Islamic financial institutions towards better facilitation of entrepreneurship, community well-being, sustainable environment and economic growth, without compromising on shareholders’ returns
Issued by Corporate Communications Department, AgrobankSource: Agrobank
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Shahreen Rahim
Section Head of Public Relations, Corporate Communications Department, Agrobank
Tel: 03-2731 1660 / +6012-943 6217
Email: shahreen.rahim@agrobank.com.my
Name: Rasheffa Abdul Rashid
Executive, Public Relations, Corporate Communications Department, Agrobank
Tel: 03-2731 1650 / +019-272 9907
Email: rasheffa@agrobank.com.my
--BERNAMA 
