We, here in Malaysia, have in addition to the introduction of newly designed coins, now have newly designed currency notes! They were just released at the beginning of the week, and I’ve just gotten my hands on the whole set.
Well ok, the photo only shows you 4 because I’d somehow forgotten to include the RM10 note. I’ve got the picture of the full set after the jump though 😀
The RM1 and RM5 notes are that new fangled polymer notes that are supposed to last longer, while the rest are still paper. Lovely and crisp and fresh from the mint!
The colours of the new notes are brighter than the old versions and I’m quite glad to have the RM20 note come back into circulation. If you remember the previous brown coloured RM20 note, raise your hand! Or maybe don’t – your age will show 😉
It all does look a bit like Monopoly money at this point (although its legal tender unlike Monopoly notes 😉 ) but once they are broken in and all grubby, I think it’ll look less like a toy and more like real money 😀 I had the impression that all the new notes would be polymer notes, rather like the Euro, so I’m glad to see that we are still getting paper notes. I dislike the feel of plastic and much prefer the feel of paper.
Have you picked up any new notes yet? I got my first, the RM1 notes in change from a stall on Monday and amused the aunty by exclaiming “Eh! New notes!” like it was the first time I’d seen money. Not impressive LOL! 😀
Paris B
Insta-Updates: Snippets of life are proudly brought to you by ParisBMWS and extracted from Instagram.
Sze Ling says
July 25, 2012 at 4:24 pmI remember those old RM20 notes. 😉 Yes, it proves that I’m not that young. LOL.
Love the bright new colors! Indifferent about the paper vs. plastic notes.
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:49 amLOL!! High 5 😉 I like the bright colours too. May never have them all in my wallet at one go (darn lack of funds LOL!) but its nice to see them when I do 😉
Fiona Loh says
July 25, 2012 at 4:31 pmI asked my dad to change for me at the bank :). Only didn’t managed to get RM5 as it’s “out of stock”.
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:49 amYes, I was told by the bank its mostly out of stock too. I think coz people are stocking it up for Raya 🙂
synical says
July 25, 2012 at 4:34 pmToo young to remember RM20 notes. Haven’t seen the new ones myself.
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:50 amThey’ll enter circulation soon enough. The parking machines better start getting with the programme! 😛
Shleesy says
July 25, 2012 at 4:59 pmBought a complete collection set from Bank Negara just before CNY :p
I find poly-note a bit difficult to “count”
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:51 amHaha someone told me the same thing! They queued up for it – did you have to queue up too? I decided to wait till they entered circulation. I have to agree too about counting polymer notes. I always have to be extra careful.
plue says
July 25, 2012 at 5:02 pmi remember the old Rm20!
i haven’t seen the new notes, but I am not too fussy about it. Money is money hahaha.
and I still don’t like the new coins, I never know which is which, especially when I am in a rush!
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:52 amTsk tsk! Older than we think eh? LOL! I can’t get used to the new coins either. I still have to stare at them for a long time before I hand over any coins >.<
HapaGirl says
July 25, 2012 at 6:14 pmI like the new notes! I wonder if more RM100 bills are in circulation the ATMs will start giving those, instead of huge wads of RM50 bills 🙂
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:52 amOh yeah I don’t understand why most ATMs don’t dispense RM100 notes. It would be so much more convenient for everyone!
Allison W says
July 25, 2012 at 7:45 pmMy mum likes to collect notes and coins, she was the one who showed me the old brown RM20 notes, but I never get to use the old one. The new notes seem really colourful.. thanks for sharing and will check it out soon~!
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:54 amI used to collect money too 🙂 But mostly foreign notes and coins. Had a whole coin collection once lol! I didn’t keep the old brown RM20 note unfortunately. Would be quite priceless now. I’m sure you’ll see the new notes enter circulation soon. I got my first from a food stall!
Madam M says
July 25, 2012 at 8:42 pmThey look similar to our Australian currency, being bright & plastic like. If they are anything like our money they come out fabulously from an accidental bout in the washing machine.
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:56 amOoh, now that you mention it, Madam M it is bright like the Australian currency! I’d forgotten coz its been ages since I was last there 😀 I hear ya about money in washing machines – at least the polymer notes will survive and look brand new with a new spin on money laundering eh? 😉
rudi says
July 25, 2012 at 8:46 pmI havent got used to the new coins yet either n now there’s new notes too. . . . Sigh
I did the “new notes” exclaimation too when i received rm1 notes as change, haha
Well, as rightly said above money is money but I do wish all those in chatge would hurry up and re-calibrate parking meters to accept the new coins and notes!! Makes me deliberately look for new coins to pay n ask for old coins as change 🙁
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 9:58 amOh yes, the parking machines better get upgraded soon 🙁 I’m starting to keep the older notes and coins I have because I realised that the new notes will soon be the norm, while the old notes will in future probably be worth something? LOL!
Pearl says
July 25, 2012 at 9:41 pmheheh… your exclaimation of “Eh! New notes!” sounds so familiar coz i have seen many that gave me the same reaction whenever i am paying with new notes! lolz…
Just for sharing, these are few of my experiences (I am based in a small town only) 1) There’s once in this coffee shop I started to take out my wallet and start to dig my wallet for the notes, the waitress have started to eye on me if i have new notes to pass on! And when I did, they say, “Yay, am so happy to get new notes!” 2) I was even asked “you have anymore new notes to change with??” Lolz… 3) Don’t expect the food stalls and small shop give u new notes, they will keep it first, hahaha.
For me, it is just a short term hype coz eventually the new notes going to be replacing the old ones! 😀
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 10:14 amI actually experienced the same thing you did Pearl. A waitress saw me paying with new notes and offered to swap her old notes for it LOL! It was very amusing but as you say, its a bit of a hype now but once the notes come into full circulation, the old notes will be the ones generating the hype 😉
Jennifer says
July 25, 2012 at 10:09 pmI like the RM20 yellow note, bright for a change and a nice welcome back to the range of denominations. Handy for those RM19.90 bargain items. Yes, I remember the brown RM20 note long time ago, so does the RM500 rusty colour note and RM1000 greyish blue note…uh oh, age leaked??? Lol. I hope the parking machines get calibrated soon with these new notes in circulation.
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 10:16 amHaha oh yes! I wish they’d bring back the RM500 and RM1000 notes. Not that I’d be able to actually hold that sort of cash at one go but its nice to know we have that option 😉 I’m hoping the parking machines get sorted out soon too. They are always the last to be upgraded and we always need that done the first!
LeGeeque says
July 26, 2012 at 6:48 amLOVE polymer notes. All the notes here are polymer and I love it cause I can crush it and it won’t look too “crushed” 😛 I remember the RM20 notes! I’m glad they brought it back and in a bright yellow too! How royalty 😛 What’s happened to the RM50 note?!
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 10:18 amYou’d think they’d shy away from a bright yellow note yes? LOL! The RM50 note is still in circulation, but it wasn’t “upgraded” because it was just changed a while ago
gin says
July 26, 2012 at 9:47 ami didnt like the new ones..they look like fake cash……..zzz…
the colour is too fancy..sigh
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 10:35 amTeehee like toy money right? 😀 Only thing is the spending power isn’t toy like 😉
Sharon says
July 26, 2012 at 11:43 amNow the biggest question is, does all the money machine accept this notes! I seriously dun understand what is Bank Negara doing, changing coins and changing notes whereby all the machines still aren’t able to accept those new ones.
It really irks me though. Sigh. I do feel that it’s a bad choice as this will incur more charges to municipal councils and shopping malls to change their ticket machine so it’ll accept the new notes/coins.
Hopefully they will think before they act.
Just my thoughts!
Paris B says
July 26, 2012 at 5:35 pmWell from what I can see, most parking machines don’t accept new notes and coins yet. I hope they do soon before all the old coins and notes run out of circulation. The notice of a change in our currency has been out for a while, since early this year I believe so there really shouldn’t have been a reason why the shopping centres, office buildings or municipal councils didn’t act on them then and wait till now to inconvenience us eh?
Firn says
July 28, 2012 at 8:21 amI prefer plastic notes as they are cleaner and don’t tear as easily. Especially important when you are trying to feed them into autopay machines that reject torn/folded notes!!!!
Paris B says
July 30, 2012 at 3:38 pmAlso feels less yucky to hold 😉
Swati says
July 28, 2012 at 9:37 pmi don’t like euro notes at all 🙁 or, even dollar for that matter…they seem so delicate to me that that they will get torn immediately!!!
Paris B says
July 30, 2012 at 4:02 pmAh but being plastic, they don’t tear as easily 😉 Although if or when they do, its usually disastrous 😛
Sam says
August 5, 2012 at 1:41 pmGood to see the picture, as I’ll need to know the currency for when I go to Legoland next year! (I’m very excited,can you tell?)
Paris B says
August 5, 2012 at 5:59 pmLegoland? We have a Legoland?! o_O