Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg
Former Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng is continuing his crusade against physical cash.
In a Feb. 17 Facebook post, he lambasted Choa Chu Kang GRC MP Don Wee for celebrating the installation of a new UOB ATM, which dispenses physical notes.
In particular, Cheng criticised Wee's call for more banks to "join in and provide greater convenience for our residents".
"This is mad," Cheng wrote. "For a member of parliament from the ruling party openly going against our drive to minimise cash."
"Not only celebrating an outdated form of payment, but encouraging banks to install more ATMs."
Installed at residents' request
The ATM in question was installed at Block 810 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 7.
According to Wee's Facebook post — which also included a TikTok video of him introducing viewers to the machine — the ATM was installed at the request of "many residents", particularly those at Axis Colours.
In the video, he also thanked the bank for setting up the ATM, "as they need to incur a few thousand dollars to maintain this machine as well as to cater security to top up the cash frequently".
He added: "We will continue to invite other banks to set up ATM machines in this precinct."
However, Cheng challenged this, saying that "banks should be doing the opposite", which is, he wrote: "Closing ATMs."
In response to the understanding that such measures are taken for the elderly in our society, Cheng said:
"Let’s not spread the myth that old people cannot use digital payments. Old people from small villages in China do it daily. Are our old people more backward???
And even if it’s the case that this is something for the convenience of old people, then we should STILL be reducing ATMs, not increasing the number."
"What an embarrassment," he noted.
Cash = backward?
The ex-NMP and fintech evangelist has spoken out widely on his Facebook page against a cash-centric culture, drawing comparisons to other cash-lite societies like the UK and Sweden.
Previously, he called for a boycott against certain food stalls at a CBD food court that only accepted cash.
But members of the public, and even Temasek Trust chairman Ho Ching, have defended these stall-owners.
Sharing a Facebook user's heartwarming encounter with a cash-only wonton mee stall in Yishun, Ho wrote: "Indeed there is no need to shame others for using cash - What matters is that the heart is in the right place..."
Top photo via Calvin Cheng/FB and Don Wee/FB