Answer for Oral Question PL138

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Md. Yusof

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA JOHAN PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ADANAN BIN BEGAWAN PEHIN SIRAJA KHATIB DATO SERI SETIA HAJI MD. YUSOF asked the Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kewangan dan Ekonomi II to state whether there are plans to integrate the 'tarus' digital payment system operated by NDPX with Digital ID, as well as to assess its impact on the integrity, cost efficiency and growth of the country's GDP.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kewangan dan Ekonomi II

At present, any proposal to connect the tarus system with Digital ID is still under further consideration from the policy, legal and technical requirements perspectives. In general, such integration has the potential to facilitate the user identity verification process, for example during account opening, service activation or online transaction verification, without having to provide the same information repeatedly.

In terms of impact, the use of Digital ID integrated with a wallet or digital banking application system could strengthen transaction integrity through more robust identity verification, thereby reducing the risk of fraud. More efficient processes could also potentially lower costs and expedite transactions, thereby supporting economic activity and indirectly contributing to GDP growth.

However, the impact will depend on the level of public acceptance, and its implementation will also be subject to further assessment.

The management of registration and user verification for the tarus system is currently handled by the respective banking and e-wallet applications. In this regard, if Digital ID is to be integrated with any payment system that has tarus system functionality, the integration will need to be implemented at the level of the banking and e-wallet applications, subject to their respective availability.

If we look at other countries such as Singapore, payment systems such as PayNow are not technically integrated with SingPass. However, the Digital ID is widely used by banks and financial institutions for e-KYC and identity verification, thereby facilitating safer access to financial services without full integration at the infrastructure level. This demonstrates that digital identity can function as an authentication layer that strengthens the security and efficiency of payment systems without requiring both systems to be fully integrated.

Information about the tarus system

For further information, the "tarus" system enables instant money transfers between different banks or e-wallets using only a telephone number. The system was developed to support daily transactions such as payments for food and beverages, purchases of household goods, transfers of money to family members or friends, payment of fees, as well as small-scale online buying and selling transactions.

For comparison, most interbank transfers currently require a 12-digit bank account number and may take up to three (3) days to be completed, such as through the RTGS method, which is commonly used for higher-value transactions.

At present, the "tarus" system enables instant fund transfers using a telephone number. Users can link a bank account or e-wallet to a telephone number and send or receive money with just a few taps through the following platforms:

a. BIBD At-Tamwil Sdn Bhd (via Olive);
b. Datastream Digital Sdn Bhd (via MyDST);
c. Perbadanan Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (via TAIBVX); and
d. Progresif Sdn Bhd (via Ding!).

The tarus network will continue to expand, with more participants expected to join in the next phase. In particular, Baiduri Bank Sdn Bhd ("Baiduri"), Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad ("BIBD") and ThreeG Media Sdn Bhd (through Pocket) are expected participants, and this is anticipated to further strengthen the network's reach and impact.

At the same time, on 21 February 2026, ndpx launched tarusQR, a QR code standard that enables users to scan QR codes through applications provided by banks and e-wallets within the "tarus" system network. For merchants, the use of a single standard QR code reduces the need to display multiple different codes, making operations more organised and efficient, while also expediting the receipt of payments. For example, MyDST users can now scan QR codes displayed by merchants using Progresif Ding! as a payment acceptance method.

To increase awareness and accessibility, ndpx is working with banks and e-wallet providers to implement various promotions. At present, payments to Perbadanan TAIB and Progresif Ding! merchants can already be made through tarusQR. In addition, donations to certain mosques can also be made through tarusQR. These efforts are supported by social media promotional campaigns, including the provision of user guides to further improve understanding, awareness and usage among the public.