Plastic ringgit notes on Tuesday

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia will get the chance to use plastic money next week.

Bank Negara Malaysia said in a media briefing Thursday that it would launch the new polymer notes on Tuesday.

Its officials, however, were tight-lipped about the denomination of the new notes. Up to now, the only polymer notes used in Malaysia is the RM50 commemorative bank notes issued in 1998.

While polymer banknotes are more expensive to produce than the paper banknotes, they last 4-5 times longer than the latter.

According to statistics from Bank Negara Malaysia, 23 countries had issued polymer banknotes for circulation and for commemorative including Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei.

Over 5.3 billion polymer notes have been issued worldwide up to May 2004.

The Reserve Bank of Australia was the first to issue polymer notes in 1988, following a research and development activities that dated back to 1967.

Polymer notes are printed on Guardian polymer substrate - a unique polypropylene plastic that has robust properties specifically for the specialised requirements of harsh usage and handling of banknotes.

-- Bernama 2004-10-21

"Had issued" is the operative word as Thailand has ceased using plastic as it does not hold up. All new 50 baht notes are paper.

Time that the Baht 50 - notes are replaced.

Too difficult to handle as too slippery, just can't bundle them together with 20ies,

hundreds and fivehundred-notes.

So what....the ring-git is <deleted> and its nothing to to with Thailand anyway !!??