Daya Kerjaya Scam

Workers received only a one-off token payment, yet their names were used to claim the full employment incentive under the Social Security Organisation's (PERKESO) Daya Kerjaya 2.0 program, according to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

A one-off token payment was given to the workers, while full claims were submitted. In other words, the workers only received a token payment and not the full amount that was claimed.
Investigators also found that information belonging to disabled people had been misused for payments to other parties.

Accountants of sole proprietorships had submitted applications on behalf of company owners who received commissions despite having no knowledge of the workers registered under the program. The use of individuals' information without consent, as well as the misuse of data belonging to the program's target groups, are among the matters being examined in the investigation.

The Daya Kerjaya 2.0 program provides a government hiring incentive of RM1,500 a month for up to six months and was introduced to help vulnerable groups secure employment. The target groups include disabled people, parolees and senior citizens aged above 60.

On June 11, the MACC announced that it had uncovered a syndicate believed to have submitted fraudulent claims involving 143 companies and claims worth about RM9mil under the program.

Healthcare Partners Protocol & Solutions Committee

Five medical and insurance/takaful associations said initiatives are being implemented to enhance communication and operational efficiency among doctors, hospitals, insurers and takaful operators.

The five are the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM), Malaysian Takaful Association, and Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia.

In a joint statement today, they said the initiatives are to improve the overall customer experience across the healthcare ecosystem. This will be done via the Healthcare Partners Protocol & Solutions Committee (HPPSC) platform.

The four broad categories of initiatives include improving communication between medical practitioners and insurers, takaful operators; enhancing transparency in panelling and review processes for cashless facility; improving medical and health insurance / takaful claims management operational efficiency; and streamlining the guarantee letter issuance process.

A dedicated "doctor-to-doctor" hotline was set up by insurers and takaful operators in April 30, 2026, to support and address claim enquiries and enable direct discussions between medical practitioners and insurers and takaful operators' medical advisory teams.

Vietnam Life Insurance Recovery

Vietnam's life insurance market has spent four years unwinding one of Southeast Asia's worst mis-selling scandals. New business premiums have reset to 2017 levels. Gross written premiums fell 12% in 2023 and a further 5.7% in 2024, driven by a collapse in consumer trust linked to bancassurance sales misconduct. Life insurance penetration dropped from 1.9% in 2022 to just 1.3% in 2024 - well below Thailand at 3.5% and Taiwan at 8.7%.

For insurers, reinsurers, and distribution partners with Southeast Asia exposure, the question is no longer whether Vietnam recovers. It is what kind of market emerges on the other side.

What the regulator changed - Vietnam's response was sweeping. The new Decree, issued in July 2023, tightened bancassurance conduct standards, imposed stricter disclosure requirements, and restricted product bundling. The revised Insurance Business Law now prohibits insurance sales within 60 days of loan disbursement and penalises banks that tie non-mandatory policies to loans. The market felt it immediately. Bancassurance revenue dropped 39% in the first six months after the rules took effect.

What executives expect - Sentiment varied by distribution model:
a: Bancassurance-focused: Most optimistic. Expect new bank-owned entrants to drive volume. Top priority is rebuilding policy persistency

b:Agency-focused: More cautious. Agent productivity remains well below pre-crisis levels. Milliman puts the timeline for full agent productivity recovery at roughly five years

c: Mixed-model: Projecting 10%–15% compound annual growth over five years, with diversification offering some protection

Three priorities cut across all groups: better sales quality, tighter cost control, and greater use of digital tools and AI.

The bank-owned insurer threat - The most commercially significant post-crisis shift is banks moving from distributor to competitor. Techcom Life, launched in 2025, was the first greenfield domestic life insurer outside the joint-venture model since 1996. Asia Commercial Bank and VPBank are also pursuing insurance subsidiaries. More bank-owned entrants are expected within two to three years.

For foreign-owned insurers with exclusive bancassurance agreements, this is a live strategic risk.

The recovery case - Industry projected a 3.8% growth in 2026, following an estimated 0.9% expansion in 2025. The structural case - young demographics, rising incomes, penetration at 1.3% - remains compelling. 

Malaysia - RM9.4 Billion Medical Claim 2025

Medical claims rose 5.3 per cent in 2025 from a year earlier, making up the largest share of total payouts at 53.9 per cent, according to the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (Liam). In its 2025 annual report, Liam said medical claims increased to RM9.4 billion from RM8.9 billion in 2024.

Disability benefits, which accounted for 0.9 per cent of total payouts, recorded the sharpest growth, surging 77.4 per cent from RM89 million in 2024 to RM157.9 million in 2025.

Liam said total claims payouts, including death, disability, medical, bonuses and other benefits, rose 3.4 per cent to RM17.4 billion in 2025 from RM16.8 billion in 2024.

The association said the life insurance industry continued to expand in 2025, although the growth rate was slower than in 2024.

In force premium rose 3.1 per cent to RM50.7 billion from RM49.1 billion in 2024, driven mainly by a 9.4 per cent increase in group policies and a six per cent rise in investment-linked policies.

Traditional policies, however, declined 2.9 per cent to RM15.6 billion.

The total sums assured in force rose 2.8 per cent to RM2.11 trillion in 2025 from RM2.05 trillion in 2024, while investment-linked policies recorded a 4.4 per cent increase to RM1.09 trillion in 2025.

Group policies sums assured in force which grew by 2.6 per cent to RM721.3 billion in 2025 whereas sums assured in force of traditional policies fell 2.6 per cent," it said.

Liam said the number of policies in force edged down 2.3 per cent to 12.7 million units in 2025 from 12.9 million units a year earlier.

It noted that investment-linked policies in force increased 1.9 per cent to seven million units, while group policies slipped 1.5 per cent and traditional policies declined by seven per cent.

Additional 10% Insurance Discount For Responsible Driver

Motorists with good driving records could see total motor insurance savings of up to 65 per cent under the Cermat Madani initiative, which introduces an additional risk-based rebate on top of existing no-claim discounts. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the framework is designed to better reflect driving behavior in insurance pricing, rewarding low-risk motorists through data-based assessments.

Responsible drivers should not be treated the same as those with higher-risk driving records.
He stressed that the benefit is based on individual risk profiling rather than commercial discounts or promotional offers. Under Cermat Madani, drivers who drive responsibly and are assessed to have lower risk profiles may be considered for premium benefits of up to 10 per cent, subject to the evaluation and decision of participating insurance companies or takaful operators.

This additional rebate will be layered on top of the existing no-claim discount (NCD) of up to 55 per cent, allowing eligible motorists to potentially enjoy total savings of up to 65 per cent. The system will later be strengthened through wider use of data to improve the accuracy and fairness of risk-based pricing.

Malaysia Healthcare Targets Indonesia

Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), together with Tourism Malaysia, recorded strong visitor engagement at Malaysia Fair Jakarta 2026, held from 4 to 7 June 2026 at Gandaria City, underscoring sustained interest among Indonesian consumers in Malaysia's healthcare, wellness and travel offerings. Organised in conjunction with Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT 2026), themed "Healing Meets Hospitality", the initiative brings together healthcare providers, tourism stakeholders and educational institutions under one roof, offering Indonesian visitors exclusive access to world-class healthcare services, travel experiences and study opportunities.

The initiative comes at a time when Indonesia remains Malaysia Healthcare's largest and most important source market. In 2025 alone, Indonesia contributed approximately RM2.2 billion in healthcare travel revenue to Malaysia, representing a 23% year-on-year increase in revenue and a 16% increase in healthcare traveller arrivals compared to 2024. Meanwhile, over 970,000 Indonesian healthcare travelers visited Malaysia, indicating ongoing trust in Malaysia's healthcare system. Major treatment areas for Indonesian patients include health screening, gastroenterology, cancer treatment, endocrinology, cardiology, and orthopaedic surgery, highlighting Malaysia's capability to provide wide-ranging and specialized care for regional patients.

Igloo Distribute Insurance Solutions Vietnam & Indonesia

Igloo - an insurance technology (insurtech) company, will now distribute insurance solutions of Chubb Life Insurance, across Vietnam and Indonesia.

Under their partnership, Chubb Life’s life, health, and critical illness products will be available in Ignite, Igloo’s artificial intelligence (AI) powered platform for insurance agents. Ignite by Igloo currently operates an agency network in Vietnam and Indonesia.

Roll-out begins in June 2026. Further details on product launches and local initiatives to be announced at a later stage.

Igloo has over 40 insurer partners and over 75 distribution partners across the region.

Life insurance penetration in Vietnam and Indonesia remains low. In Vietnam, life premiums represent just 1.3% of the GDP. For Indonesia, the figure is at 1.5% of the GDP.