“My card is already linked to my eWallet. Why isn’t it deducting from there? Now I have to top up the physical card too — this is ridiculous.”
That is the internal monologue — sometimes not so internal — of millions of Malaysians standing at highway toll plazas across the country.
It has happened to us too. You have to make sure both the eWallet and the physical card have enough balance. The strange part is, some toll plazas deduct directly from the eWallet, while others simply do not.
Think about it. It is 2025. We have RFID, eWallet integration, bank card linking — and yet when you pass through certain plazas along the North-South Expressway (PLUS) or the West Coast Expressway (WCE), it is still the physical card balance getting deducted.
Run out? You might find yourself sneaking into the emergency lane, calling for assistance, or doing the embarrassing walk to another lane just to top up.
Yes, TNG NFC cards can be topped up via mobile phone — but that process itself becomes a source of congestion at toll plazas and triggers entirely justified frustration from other drivers stuck behind you.
The Technology Exists — It Just Is Not Being Used Consistently
Here is how it should logically work: when you link your card to an eWallet — say, your TNG card to TNG eWallet — every toll transaction should automatically deduct from the eWallet. No need to maintain two separate balances. But right now, only some highways actually support this.
The rest? You still have to top up the physical card separately.
Based on my own experience and observation, I noticed five major highways that still do not support automatic eWallet deduction even when the card is already linked:
- North-South Expressway (PLUS)
- New Klang Valley Expressway (ELITE)
- West Coast Expressway (WCE)
- East Coast Expressway 1 (LPT1)
- East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2)
And here is the kicker — most users, myself included, have no idea which highways support automatic eWallet deduction and which ones do not. It is genuinely confusing and deeply frustrating. It feels like navigating the internet on Internet Explorer in 2025.
This Is Not a Minor Inconvenience
This is not a trivial issue. The inconsistency forces users like me to monitor two separate balances — one in the eWallet, one on the physical card. If either runs dry at the wrong moment, you are stuck at the barrier.
Picture this: peak hour traffic, kids crying in the back seat, the air conditioning struggling, and then — “Insufficient balance.” That is the kind of thing that genuinely makes your blood boil.
Most Malaysians are more than ready for a fully digital world. The systems are not keeping up with the people. We are not asking for anything fancy. We just want something simple, consistent, and user-friendly. One balance. No scrambling to top up a physical card. No cars grinding to a halt in the toll lane. That is all.
The Questions That Need Answering
Why has our digital toll payment system not been fully standardised? Why do some highways already support automatic eWallet deduction through PayDirect, while bigger and more heavily trafficked expressways are still stuck in the past?
Many people blame TNG — but the integrated payment infrastructure is actually the responsibility of the highway operators themselves. TNG has already built and made available a payment system that can bridge the eWallet and physical card seamlessly.
Take this example: why can toll payments on the Penchala Link under the SPRINT Expressway deduct directly from an eWallet, but the ELITE Expressway — which handles enormous peak-hour traffic volumes — cannot?
Should every toll plaza in Malaysia not be using the same unified, simple, and user-friendly system? In an era where practically every daily transaction can be completed digitally, it is baffling that users are still expected to maintain two separate balances for the exact same purpose.
The Real Problem: A Fragmented Payment Ecosystem
This issue goes beyond “can I link my card to an eWallet or not.” The reality is that Malaysia’s highway payment ecosystem is already fractured.
Some plazas accept eWallets. Some only accept cards. Some have introduced open payment via debit or credit cards. And now, some operators are launching their own dedicated apps for toll payments.
If everyone follows that same path, do not be surprised when every single highway has its own app. Imagine needing to pass through four different highways — that means installing four apps, creating four accounts, and making sure all four have sufficient balance. That is a guaranteed headache.
Malaysians have already adapted to one primary app with open payment as a backup. That system makes sense. The logical move is to keep it that way — not to add more applications that only multiply the burden and increase the chances of getting stuck at a barrier.
To Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) — why are new toll systems being introduced when the most fundamental aspect of the experience is still inconsistent and broken? Should LLM not fix the basics of integrated toll payment first before layering on anything new? Should every payment option not already be fully digitalised and standardised across the board?
Can We Really Have One Unified Toll System for Every Highway in Malaysia?
Paying a toll is about as basic as it gets. But when that basic function becomes inconsistent, highway operators end up as the symbol of a much bigger failure — the inability to manage technology efficiently on behalf of the public. Ordinary Malaysians are already ready for a fully digital experience. The operators are still only halfway there, despite the infrastructure already being available.
We should all be chasing one single goal: every highway in Malaysia running on one smooth, unified, easy-to-use digital payment system. Once a card is linked to an eWallet, it should not matter which highway you are on — the deduction should happen automatically, every single time, without exception.
The question is — how much longer will authorities like LLM allow this fragmented mess to continue without a concrete, nationwide solution? Why should users keep bearing this burden when coordination at a national level is entirely achievable?
This is not the time for operators and authorities to protect individual interests. This is the time to get on the same page — for the sake of every single road user in this country.
