Fahmi Urges Customers to Report Unauthorized ATM Fees to BNM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Bank customers who are still being hit with the RM1 interbank cash withdrawal fee at bank-owned automated teller machines (ATMs) are strongly urged to lodge official complaints with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said.

Fahmi stated that the central bank is fully prepared to take follow-up action against any financial institution failing to comply with the fee waiver, which officially went into effect yesterday.

“If any customer finds that they are still being charged the RM1 fee for withdrawals at bank-owned ATMs, they should report the matter to BNM for further action,” he told the Communications Ministry’s weekly press conference here today.

According to Fahmi, BNM has clarified that the waiver applies strictly to ATMs owned and operated by banks participating in the shared ATM network, allowing users to withdraw cash across different banking institutions without incurring the standard RM1 penalty. This waiver effectively covers approximately 84 per cent, or nearly 16,000, of all bank-owned ATMs across the country.

The MADANI Government spokesman noted that the remaining 16 per cent of ATMs nationwide are operated by non-bank private companies under independent commercial arrangements, meaning these specific machines will continue to impose the RM1 withdrawal fee.

He explained that this clarification was issued in response to a wave of public enquiries and confusion surfacing on social media regarding the rollout. To ensure they are not charged, Fahmi advised customers to look for the bank’s official logo displayed directly on the machines instead of using third-party-operated terminals. He added that the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and the Malaysian Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Association (AIBIM) are expected to issue a joint statement shortly to provide deeper details on the implementation.

Boosting Digital Talent and Agentic AI at TRX

In a separate development, Fahmi highlighted the upcoming establishment of a Global Development Centre by an international financial technology company at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX). The move is projected to significantly strengthen Malaysia’s standing as a global innovation hub for digital talent and financial technology, with a specialized focus on Agentic AI.

According to the minister, the company’s decision to anchor its premier investment of this nature in Malaysia reflects robust foreign investor confidence in the country’s ongoing political stability and the strategic economic policies introduced under the MADANI Government.

“This is the first time an international financial technology company has established such a global centre in Malaysia. It demonstrates that the political stability and policy consistency under the MADANI Government have strengthened investor confidence, particularly among foreign investors, to continue choosing Malaysia as a preferred investment destination,” he added.

-NMT