Banks in Klang Valley run out of new notes

Hari Raya is coming soon but there are no new RM5 and RM20 notes to go around.

KUALA LUMPUR: With Hari Raya less than 10 days away, many Muslims in Kuala Lumpur are finding it difficult to get new notes for Hari Raya packets.

Although the banks have started to dispense new notes last week, they seemed to be running out of the new notes this week.

Checks by Bernama at several banks in the city found that they seemed to be running out of RM5 and RM20 notes since yesterday, and some even ran out of all new notes.

A bank manager in Kampung Baru told Bernama that his branch had run out of all new notes since yesterday and claimed that this year, the branch received less new notes compared to last year.

“We did not get much this year, we started to allow customers to change new notes last week and we completely ran out of stock yesterday,” he said.

Meanwhile, a bank manager in Kelana Jaya told Bernama they had started to offer new notes last week and ran out of the new notes two days ago.

“We started last week and the most popular is the new RM5 notes, we ran out of those two days ago. Now there are only RM1, RM10 and RM100 left,” he added.

Meanwhile, customers at two different banks in Kampung Baru claimed they were not allowed to change new bank notes earlier, but when they tried to do so today, the banks said they were already out of the new notes.

Ahmad Sani Abdullah, 47 said he had come all the way from Shah Alam looking for the new RM5 and RM20 notes but to no avail.

“I drove all the way from Shah Alam and I stopped at all the places where I know there are banks. I think this branch in Kampung Baru is the 10th bank I’ve been to and still, no RM5 or RM20 notes.”

Celebrity Kartini Kamalul Ariffin was one of the customers who was unable to get her new Raya notes.

“I need to run a few errands and since I’m here I might as well change some money. It’s too bad the new notes are no longer available,” she said.

A customer in a bank in Kelana Jaya told Bernama they would have to make do with only the RM1 notes.

“It is a tradition to give new notes in Hari Raya packets but I guess I’m too late because I cannot afford to give out RM10 per packet so I have to use RM1 notes in all my packets.”

-Bernama