Merchantrade Asia has earned a major milestone with its official appointment as an Approved Issuer of a Designated Payment Instrument in Sabah. The endorsement comes directly from the Minister of Human Resources under the Labour Ordinance of Sabah and builds on Merchantrade’s earlier approval for Peninsular Malaysia granted on 1 August 2024. With Sabah now included, Merchantrade strengthens its presence as a national provider of digital wage solutions designed for today’s increasingly mobile and diverse workforce.
Sabah’s approval takes effect on 1 December 2025 and gives employers across the state the ability to shift from manual, cash-centric payroll practices to a fully digital framework. Employers will be able to manage salaries for their foreign workers through Merchantrade’s payroll management portal and the Merchantrade Money e-wallet. Many employers in Sabah operate in sectors where digital banking access is limited, and traditional payroll methods often require time-consuming and expensive coordination. Merchantrade aims to bridge this gap with a unified digital ecosystem that simplifies payroll while giving workers reliable financial access.
The challenge in Sabah is deeply rooted in geography. The state covers 7.4 million hectares, including nearly 1.7 million hectares of plantations scattered across remote areas. Workers often live far from urban centres, where banking services are concentrated. Opening a bank account may require a full day of travel, which leads employers to rely heavily on cash distribution. This creates safety risks, delays and administrative strain. By offering a secure e-wallet linked to a VISA card, Merchantrade provides an alternative that supports direct salary crediting, quick remittances and safe, traceable transactions. Workers still retain the option to withdraw physical cash through ATMs whenever needed, ensuring digital inclusion does not come at the cost of convenience.
Ramasamy K Veeran, Merchantrade’s Founder and Managing Director, welcomed the Sabah approval as a transformative step in the company’s mission to modernise wage payments nationwide. He highlighted Merchantrade’s commitment to inclusive digital infrastructure, noting that the company has built extensive on-ground support and physical touchpoints across Sabah to ensure seamless adoption for employers and workers alike.
Digital wage systems do more than automate payments. They introduce transparency for both sides of the employment relationship. Workers can track their pay more easily, employers avoid compliance pitfalls, and organisations like PERKESO can process social security contributions more efficiently. Merchantrade’s close cooperation with PERKESO strengthens this pipeline, ensuring faster and more accountable transfers that reduce the potential for error.
The Merchantrade Money e-wallet acts as a multifunctional financial hub. It goes beyond salary storage by offering remittance services, mobile reloads, micro-insurance coverage and QR-based payments that help workers save time and manage their expenses more effectively. For many foreign workers who remain unbanked, these features create access to financial services that previously required multiple providers or long-distance travel.
With Sabah’s approval, Merchantrade moves a step closer to reshaping the national payroll landscape, helping employers operate more safely and efficiently while giving workers a digital financial toolkit built for everyday life.