A blast of confetti filled the air momentarily after Besut MP Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh snipped a ribbon at a small ceremony in Hulu Besut last Friday.
The occasion? The opening of an automatic teller machine (ATM) at a petrol station in the rural town.
While the fanfare may seem over the top or out of place - and has been the subject of ridicule - it highlights a long-standing problem for many rural communities, which is a lack of access to financial facilities.
According to Che Mohamad Zulkifly in a Facebook post on the ATM opening, the nearest place for Hulu Besut residents to withdraw money at an ATM is in Jerteh.
A search on Google Maps shows that this can be a 40-minute drive one way for those living in the far reaches of Hulu Besut.
The new ATM - situated at a petrol station in Bukit Payung - cuts the distance down by half.
Hulu Besut is not the only rural town in the country to lack access to basic facilities such as an ATM.
The problem is especially prevalent in Sabah and Sarawak where the journey from a village to the nearest ATM is far more arduous.
Meanwhile, Che Mohamad Zulkifly's aide mounted a defence for the PAS lawmaker in a Facebook post today.
Shalahhudin Jaafar said the ceremony was aimed at encouraging the Hulu Besut residents to use the ATM in order to hit targets set by the bank.
He said if the targets were met, then the bank would also add a cash deposit machine (CDM) in the town.
"It is hoped that the ribbon cutting ceremony would also attract more people to the petrol station so that sales of petrol and sundry goods go up.
"Why are there people making this viral as though it is an offence, even though the ceremony did not have a speech?" Shalahhudin asked.- Mkini
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