THERE was a time it was even more ubiquitous than the post box. Rows of payphones along streets and lanes across cities, towns and villages. But in an era where almost everyone carries a mobile phone, coin-operated payphones have become a rare sight. Yet, there are companies still operating public payphones. Pernec has more than 35,000 public payphones across Malaysia particularly in rural areas where cellular phone signals are limited and telephone cables on poles are still required to connect people to the nearest town.

There are times though, when a public payphone is necessary despite the overwhelming use of mobile phones. Businessman Abdul Jalil Hamid from Semenyih, Selangor said he had a bad experience looking for a payphone during a recent emergency. “My motorcycle broke down in Kajang on a late night last month and my smartphone’s battery was exhausted. I wanted to call my friend using a public payphone but failed. It failed because the public phone did not work,” the 42-year-old said.

Mobile phones or smartphones might rule the airwaves and leave payphones obsolete but some said payphones are still necessary and play an important role in their life during emergencies. Yet, the few left in Malaysia seem out of order or forlorn, waiting for their days to be ripped off. And those that remain working on street corners in Kuala Lumpur are just curiosities to children of the 21st century.