On 1st June 1998, Bank Negara Malaysia in co-operation with Sukom Ninety Eight Berhad issued a new RM50 note to commemorate the Kuala Lumpur '98 XVI Commonwealth Games. This banknote was the first polymer banknote to be issued in Malaysia.
The design of the note portrays Malaysia as a world class sporting destination. The front features the portrait of the first Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the right and the Kuala Lumpur city skyline with prominent landmarks in the centre. The Look of the Commonwealth Games which features the stylised butterfly symbol and the gold-coloured Optical Variable Device (OVD) with the portrait of the first Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the clear window appears on the left. The logo of Bank Negara Malaysia appears in the other clear window on the right of the note. The Kuala Lumpur International Airport is featured as the central backdrop. To the right, the background design shows the artist's impression of the Multimedia Super Corridor connecting Kuala Lumpur City Centre to Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The design on the back of the note shows the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in the centre. The logo of the Kuala Lumpur '98 XVI Commonwealth Games appears on the left of
the note.
