Friday February 12, 2010
Public can exchange discoloured RM50 notes at Bank Negara and its branches
By JOSHUA FOONG
PETALING JAYA: Those who have discoloured banknotes can exchange them at Bank Negara or its branches.
The central bank, in a statement yesterday, reassured the people that only durable paper for the new RM50 notes were used to protect them from being soiled and to ensure that they lasted longer.
The incidents of ink wear due to washing with strong detergent are a rare occurrence, it said.
Even under such conditions, distinguishing security features such as the watermark, security thread and security fibres in the paper remain intact to determine the authenticity of the banknote, it added.
Meanwhile, more people have complained about the new RM50 notes losing colour.
Norhayana Saini, from Putrajaya, said she found a new RM50 bleached after it was accidentally washed with her laundry.
The funny thing is that, the RM5 note left in the wash was not damaged at all, she said.
Joanna Lee, 31, said she had retrieved a washed-out RM50 note from a banks ATM recently.
It was already discoloured. I didnt have time to run to the bank to clarify this issue, thinking that it was a one-off matter, until I read the report in The Star, said Lee.
She added that when she tried to deposit the note into the banks ATM, it was rejected.
Lee said a foodstall owner later accepted the note from her.
On Monday, mechanical engineer Yeoh Jit Shiong, 25, reported that the print had disappeared from a few of the new RM50 notes he had mistakenly left in his washing machine along with his laundry.
However, if a new RM50 note has been washed off, it may not be a total loss for the owner.
IT executive Cadry Soo, 30, who also had her RM50 note discoloured last October, said a trip to Bank Negara headquarters in Kuala Lumpur sorted matters out.
I went to Block D to exchange my damaged notes. The officer in charge swapped the notes for me with no questions asked.
Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/12/nation/5639439&sec=nation