Did you know that China has finally opened its borders to the outside world after nearly 3 years? During this time, the National Health Commissions of China implemented a zero-COVID policy. Now, Chinese travelers can leave the country to travel since the zero-Covid policy ended. If you are planning to travel outside of China, why not come to Malaysia? When you travel to Malaysia, you no longer have to do PCR test in advance or upon arrival. In addition, you also no longer need to do a self quarantine. Continue reading and we will discuss what else you need to know before travelling to Malaysia.

The Malaysian Health Ministry announced that all travellers arriving in Malaysia will have to undergo temperature checks for fever. This is due to concerns over a surge of Covid-19 cases in China.

Malaysia’s Immigration Department will now provide special lanes for travellers from China at international entry points, due to concerns of the Covid-19 spread in the country.

All travelers entering Malaysia will be screened through a thermal scanner. Those who are found to be ill or symptomatic, or made self-declarations, will undergo further examination.

No, as of January 2023, it is not mandatory to have travel insurance to enter Malaysia. However, it is strongly recommended to cover the medical cost in case you get sick during your travel in Malaysia. The best travel insurance plan for tourist is the COVID Travel Pass+ from Tune. With COVID Travel Pass+, you will travel with the best protection to Malaysia. It is suitable to be used for any airlines and has many medical coverage benefits which also includes Covid-19

• no PCR test in advance before departure from China

• no PCR test on arrival

• no quarantine requirement for travellers from china

• travel insurance is not mandatory but strongly recommended

COVID Travel Pass+ is a travel insurance plan to protect foreign travellers who are travelling to Malaysia. This travel insurance covers medical expenses related to COVID-19 up to MYR 350,000. This travel insurance is specifically designed for non-Malaysians who plan to travel to Malaysia.

Besides medical expenses for COVID-19, COVID Travel Pass+ also offers protection for personal accidents, travel inconveniences, medical expenses, ground inconveniences, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation due to accident, as well as 24-hour travel assistance services.

• There are 2 plans you can choose from: Basic and Premium.

  • Basic Plan – covers COVID-19 Medical expenses up to RM100,000​

  • Premium Plan – offers higher protection for COVID-19 medical expenses up to RM 350,000​

  The price are as below:

• • Hospitalisation
    This travel insurance plan covers hospitalisation related to COVID-19

  • Digital Certificate
    The COVID Travel Pass+ provides an instant digital insurance certificate provided through your email​

  • Wide Age Limit
    If you have a senior family member, we have you covered. This travel insurance plan is open to travellers aged 30 days until 70 years old

  • Fast & Easy Purchase
    No Account Registration is required when you want to purchase the travel insurance plan. You can buy online in just a few clicks.

In this article, we will discuss the difference between general insurance and life insurance. We will discuss on the types of general insurance and the types of life insurance. In addition, we will also discuss on who needs general insurance/life insurance and who does not need them. Insurance is essential for you to be able to focus on the important things in life since it provides financial protection for you and your family in the event of an unforeseen situation.

Find out which do you need? General insurance or life insurance?

Since it is almost impossible to live a risk-free life, insurance is there to protect you from these risks. Insurance can be divided into two categories: General and Life. General insurance protects your belongings from accident. It is also known as non-life insurance, because this insurance covers all the insurances that are not Life related.

In simple words, general insurance covers almost everything other than your life. Example of general insurances are:

• Motor insurance

• Fire insurance

• Home insurance

• Health insurance

• Travel insurance

• Accident insurance

You can choose the type of risks from which you would like to protect yourselves from by simply selecting the right policy with the features you need. General insurance policies usually provide coverage for about one year and premiums are paid on a one-time basis.

General insurance can give you protection in a variety of areas such as accident, fire, health, travel and others. If you have started working, you will be attracted to buy valuable items such as a car, house and vacations. If you do not earn much or do not have much savings, you cannot afford to lose the valuable items you have bought. This is when having general insurance will protect you. In other words, general insurance can protect you from risks that you cannot bear on your own.

Here are some examples of how general insurance can protect you and who should buy them:

Life is uncertain and any unpredictable event may occur at any moment. That is why life insurance is there to protect you and your family financially when bad events happen. Life insurance gives financial stability, aids in the repayment of debts, aids in covering living expenses, and aids in the payment of any medical or final expenditures. When you buy life insurance, you will set a fixed amount, for example RM100,000, that will be paid out to you or your family for the worst event. This is similar to car insurance were the sum insured is the value of your car. The sum insured is paid in full when your car is stolen. In life insurance, a stolen car is equal to death, where the sum insured is paid full to your family.

You normally will pay a regular monhtly amount for an agreed sum insured for your life insurance.

There are 7 types of life insurance. The table below shows the types of life insurance and their brief descriptions.

Although life insurance is a significant protection policy, not many people are aware of its importance. Individuals and families with no life insurance have no choice but to bare the high costs in case of an unfortunate event like accident, disabilities or death. According to OECD in 2019, 12 out of 100 people have life insurance in the US compared to only 5 out of 100 people having life insurance in Malaysia.

The main idea of life insurance is to provide financial assistance to you and your family in the event of an accident, disability or death. Life insurance will cover the high cost in the event of an unfortunate event that happens. If you are married and you support your family, we recommend for you to get life insurance. This is because, in the case that something unfortunate like an accident, disability or death happens to you, you and your family will receive financial aid.

Here is how life insurance can protect you and your family:

Accident:
If you have life insurance and get into an accident which causes severe injuries, the insurance company will pay you and your family the sum insured for your life insurance.

This financial aid can be used to spend on your medical treatment and buying the necessary medical equipment. In addition, it can also be used to cover for your family’s expenses (food, rent) while you are in the hospital.

Disability:
If you have life insurance and get into any disabilities due to an injury or accident, the insurance company will pay you and your family the sum insured for your life insurance.

This financial aid can be used to spend on your medical treatment, installing modifications to your home or car to accommodate your disability or hiring a full time house helper. In addition, it can also be used to cover for your family’s expenses (food, rent) while you are in the hospital.

Death:
If you have life insurance and have passed away, the insurance company will pay your family the sum insured for your life insurance.

This financial aid can be used to cover your family’s expenses when you are not around and help them get back on their feet financially.

General Insurance

Life Insurance

Etiqa General Insurance Bhd and Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Am Bhd (Takaful Malaysia) emerged as the winner at this year’s Motor Insurance and Takaful Award 2021/22, an annual honour accorded to top Motor Insurance and Takaful companies in the country.

Hosted by an independent, knowledge-based insurance education provider iBanding Services Sdn Bhd (iBanding), the awards aim to offer the public true insights as they are based on actual consumer experiences with their insurance/takaful providers.

Now in its sixth year, the awards are based on the results of extensive research conducted by iBanding that ranks insurance and takaful companies based on actual feedback from Malaysian motorists with valid motor insurance policies. The final score is calculated based on multiple factors, such as customer satisfaction, years with the company and claims experience. Over 5,000 Malaysians participated in this year’s survey. Besides helping to find the best companies in Malaysia, survey participants could win electronic gadgets and cash vouchers.

Motor Insurance Award 2021/22

Motor Takaful Award 2021/22

Have you been driving your car lesser during this COVID-19 pandemic? Do you want to know how you can save money on car insurance? If yes, we have great news for you. Etiqa Takaful and Etiqa Insurance is now providing up to 30% cash rebate for drivers who do not drive their cars often.

Etiqa has recently introduced its car usage-based ‘Drive Less Save More’ motor insurance and takaful add-on, which provides Malaysian drivers with up to a 30% cash rebate based on your car mileage. This add-on is optional and completely free. With this add-on, rebates are given anytime you submit a claim with a minimum of 10 days between each submission.

The ‘Drive Less Save More’ add-on is available to all customers who are purchasing or renewing their motor insurance or takaful plans. To qualify for the rebates, all you have to do is submit a photo of your vehicle number plate and a picture of your car odometer via the Etiqa Smile mobile app.

Throughout the policy period, you will need to upload an image of your odometer reading as often as you want, with a minimum of 10 days between uploads in order to obtain your rebates. The images you submit will be used to determine the mileage driven and will be used to calculate the your rebate amount.

The key factors that determine the amount of claims are as follows:

a) Activation date:
The first activation with the first submission of the odometer reading and car plate number is a must.

b) Mileage:
This refers to the distance that you drive between each subsequent odometer upload. The less kilometres driven, the more rebates you get.

It all depends on your driving behaviour. The less you drive, the more rebates you will stand to enjoy. As long as you drive 14km a day, and end up clocking in only 5000km or less in a year, you will enjoy up to 30% cash rebate in a year.

Scenario 1 (upload odometer picture once a year):

• submit one picture to start (odometer start reading) at the beginning of the plan

• submit one picture to end (to claim the rebate) at the end of the plan, after 360 days

Scenario 2 (upload odometer picture every 10 days):

• submit one picture to start (odometer start reading) at the beginning of the plan

• submit picture every 10 days to claim rebate throughout the plan period

Cash rebates are paid within 7 working days to your own account number from each claim submission. All cash rebates are calculated on a daily basis and the rebate is shown in a percentage. It is also based on your basic premium (not including NCD) as per the table below :

If you do not use your car often, you should definitely apply for the ‘Drive Less Save More’ add-on from any Etiqa Takaful or Insurance plans in order to get the rebate. This is a great opportunity to save your money especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. We encourage you to apply for the add-on now to start saving up to 30% on car insurance or takaful.

What Is The Maintain Like New Add-On?

Are you a women driver in Malaysia who is looking for a suitable car insurance plan to protect your car? In this article, we explain the special women car insurance from Berjaya Sompo.

Studies have revealed that women are much safer drivers compared to men. According to The New York Times, men drivers are twice as likely to get into any fatal road accidents compared to women drivers. Even though this is good news for all women drivers out there, many insurance companies in Malaysia charge the same price. You would expect that car insurance for women are cheaper, because insurance companies pay less for accidents.

Berjaya Sompo is now offering the SOMPO MotorNow insurance plan for women drivers out there with a special discount. Women drivers will be eligible for a 15% discount when they renew or sign up for a SOMPO MotorNow insurance plan.

Women drivers will enjoy a special 5% discount for their insurance policy on top of their Non Claims Discount (NCD). This means that women drivers can exclusively enjoy all the benefits offered by SOMPO MotorNow in addition to the extra 5% discount.

If you renew online you will get a 10% online discount. This means that women drivers who renew online will get a total of 15% discount on their car insurance policy.

Here is an overview :

SOMPO MotorNow provides complete coverage for your car against any type of damage or loss (own or third-party), as well as protection against legal liabilities for injury, death, and property damage to third parties. This women car insurance also comes with benefits like

• You get 10% online discount
• You only need to pay for the coverage you need. No more, no less
• You get free coverage for all drivers without the need of driver nomination
• Fast claim approval and direct settlement of up to RM5000

Yes. SOMPO MotorNow is among the few car insurances specific for women in Malaysia. You can not only enjoy all the basic benefits offered by the company but you also enjoy exclusive discount of 5%. In total women drivers will be eligible for a 15% discount which includes the 10% online discount and 5% exclusive women discount.

Difference between Motor Takaful vs Insurance

The Malaysian Transport Ministry (JPJ) has extended the deadline to renew road tax until 31st December 2021. The previously announced deadline is no longer in effect. This means that all road users have more time to renew road tax before the new deadline.

Yes. You can choose to renew your road tax later, before 31st December. However, you need to keep a hardcopy of your insurance e-cover note with you. You can use the e-cover note to show law enforcement officers if you get stopped at a roadblock. Therefore, it is important that you renew your motor insurance on time to ensure you have a valid e-cover note.

No. You do not save money by renewing later. Your road tax will be back dated to the beginning of the car insurance. However by renewing later you can do it at your own convenience. The only benefit of renewing later is to help you buy more time in case you cannot afford to pay at the moment. If you can afford to renew, we highly suggest to renew as soon as you can.

JPJ encourages road users to renew online using the MySikap JPJ or MyEG portal. However, you also have the option to renew over the counter by scheduling an appointment. JPJ announced that you could also walk in to any national courier Pos Malaysia outlets to renew. You will no longer need to book an appointment with Pos Malaysia.

The full statement from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) about the road tax exemption is as below :

Good news for all drivers. For a limited time get up to RM150 rebate when you buy SOMPO Motor Insurance. Find out how.

Berjaya Sompo is giving out extra cash for the first 1,500 people that renew their car insurance online. This is on top of the 10% direct discount you get, when you renew online.

The rebate is paid out as Touch ‘n Go eWallet credit and is split into two Rewards A and B. The cash amount depends on how much your car insurance cost and what your NCD is.

Reward A: 10% extra discount

• Motor Insurance Price above RM500,  first 900 participants will get RM50
• Motor Insurance Price  above RM1,200, first 600 participants will get RM100

Reward B: Extra reward for people with NCD 55%

• Motor Insurance Price above RM500, first 900 participants will get RM20
• Motor Insurance Price above RM1,200, first 600 participants will get RM50

Participants have to be quick to be the first 1,500 people to be eligible for the prizes.

Click image to enlarge

Your car insurance costs RM 600 and you have 55% NCD.

• Basic Car Insurance Price: RM600
• 10% Online Discount: – RM 60
• Reward A: – RM 50
• Reward B: – RM 20
• Total Rebate: RM130

Final Insurance Price: RM600 – Rm130 = RM RM470

Your car insurance costs RM 1,300 and you have 55% NCD.

• Basic Car Insurance Price: RM1,300
• 10% Online Discount: – RM 130
• Reward A: – RM 100
• Reward B: – RM 50
• Total Rebate: RM 280

Final Insurance Price: RM1,300 – RM280 = RM 1,020

• 0% Interest Instalment PlanCustomers have a choice of 6 months or 12 months 0% interest instalment plans for credit cards issued by Maybank, CIMB Bank & Public Bank that have a minimum payment amount of RM600.

• Pay Less For Your Car InsuranceYou only pay for the insurance coverage you need. No more, no less.

• Free Coverage for All DriversAll authorised drivers are automatically covered and no nomination of drivers is required.

• Renew Your Car Insurance Online Instantly With JPJ Status Update
  
  Instant car insurance renewal and connected to JPJ for your subsequent road tax renewal.

• Choose Your Car Insurance Excess

  The higher the excess amount you choose to self-pay, the lower premium for your SOMPO Motor Insurance.

• Fast Car Insurance Claim Approval & Direct Settlement of up to RM5,000

  Get your SOMPO Motor Insurance claim reimbursement within 1 hour.

• Participants who are residing in Malaysia
• Participants with a vehicle for private use only
• Aged twenty–six (26) years and above
• Participants who has made not more than 1 claim in the last 3 years
• Participants with motor insurance not more than 2 months away from the expiry date
• Participants who purchased a SOMPO MotorNow insurance policy online
  (with a minimum premium payable of RM500.00)

• Participants who are policyholders of SOMPO Motor Insurance
• Participants with the following vehicle models :
  • Toyota Hilux
  • Mitsubishi Triton
  • Nissan Navara
  • All Ferrari Models
  • All Lamborghini Models
  • Audi A6, Audi A5
  • Volkswagen Scirocco & Volkswagen CC

You will get an email from [email protected] at the end of the campaign period.

Read More

AXA eMedic campaign: Get extra credit

Have you ever wondered what the difference between Takaful and Insurance is? In this article, we will compare and explain the difference between Motor Takaful and Conventional Insurance. To make our comparison more realistic we will use Etiqa’s product to compare. Etiqa offers both Motor Takaful and Motor Insurance.

The Etiqa Motor Takaful (Takaful) and Etiqa Motor Insurance (Conventional) plans are both among the best motor insurance plans available to all Malaysian road users. They are both a comprehensive motor protection plan which covers loss, theft and even damages to cars. The best part is that customers will get a 10% rebate on top of their NCD when they renew either plans online. So, which should you choose? Let us help you understand so that you can decide on which plan suits your need.

It is clear that the Takaful and Conventional plans both serves different purposes to customers. However, we would first like to highlight on many of the similarities between both plans. Some of them include :

• Comprehensive motor insurance

• Coverage for loss, theft or damage protection

• 10% rebate on top of your NCD for online renewals

• Get reimbursed with a value you agree with

• All authorized drivers automatically covered

• 24/7 emergency hotline

• 24-hour roadside assistance

• Third party bodily injury and death

• Third party property loss or damage

• Coverage for loss or damage to vehicle due to accidental fire, theft or accident

• 0% Interest Installment Plan for Maybank Credit Card Holders

Now that you know the similarities between both plans, let us show you some of the differences in the benefits between both these plans so you can have a better understanding. These are the seven differences that will be able to help you decide on which plan suits your needs.

• Shariah compliant plan
  
  The Takaful plan is a Shariah compliant version of insurance while the conventional insurance is not. This is a significant difference for muslim customers in Malaysia as they might choose the Shariah compliant plan as urged by their religious teaching.

• Offers cashback when no claims is made
  
  The Takaful plan offers cashback for zero claims at the end of the policy year whereas the Conventional plan does not. Therefore, a driver who is confident that he or she practices safe and careful driving might be entitled to obtain additional cash benefit by selecting this plan.

• Rental car assistance in the event of an accident

  The Takaful plan offers rental car assistance in the event of an accident and replacement services for tires, battery and more. This benefit might be useful for working customers who need to travel to work on a daily basis as having a mode of transportation is always important to them.

• Free car towing up to 200km.

  The Conventional plan offers free car towing assistance up to 200km. This is a benefit that is not offered by the Takaful plan. This benefit might be useful for drivers who often drive alone and need a mode of assistance in case of an emergency.

• Fast Claim Approval within 30 minutes

  The Conventional plan offers fast claim approval for amounts of up to RM5000 which the Takaful plan does not offer. We believe this benefit will certainly be useful for drivers who are busy and always on the go, as they may only need to wait up to 30 minutes for claim approvals.

• Get 30% cash refund when you drive less
  
  The Conventional plan offers customers cash refund up to 30% for low mileage usage. We believe that this benefit might help customers who rarely use their car to save a lot of money in the long term.

In conclusion, the Takaful plan is a must for people who want a Shariah compliant plan while people can choose the Conventional if a Shariah compliant plan is not a concern to them. In addition, the Takaful  provides cashbacks, when you do not make any claims for accidents during the end of the policy year. However, Conventional does not have this benefit. The good news is, if you do not drive much, the Conventional plan will give you up to 30% cash refund while the Takaful plan does not have this benefit. The 30% cash refund is an important benefit especially for people with a spare car at home that is not driven often.

Besides that, the Conventional plan also provides customers free car towing up to 200km and faster claim approvals. If you are someone who is always busy with work, then this plan would benefit you a lot as your claims will be approved within 30 minutes and you do not have to worry about paying extra for tow service. On the other hand, the Takaful plan provides you with an immediate replacement car and also provides tires and battery replacement services for their customers. This is great especially for people who drive their car to work everyday and cannot afford to wait long until the car is repaired as they do not have a spare car at home.

We hope all this information would have opened your eyes to make a better decision by now. The factors discussed above should help you realise your needs in choosing between the Takaful or Conventional plan.

The Takaful plan is for people who:

• want a Shariah compliant plan

• want claims cashback for safe driving

• need a replacement car after an accident

The Conventional plan is for people who:

• drive less or second car that are not used that often

• travel long distance

• want fast claims processing

Renew Motor Insurance & Win RM600,000 Car Reward

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has stated that all summons would have a 70% discount starting from August 18 to September 16, 2021.

The discount is in conjunction with Malaysia’s 64th Independence Day celebrations which is themed as “Malaysia Prihatin”. JPJ claims that this offer is an effort to reduce the financial burden of the Malaysian people, who have been affected by the economic crisis as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are many people who have lost jobs and lives in battling this pandemic.

JPJ announced that all summons issued to road users, including blacklisted summons, are eligible for the 70% discount. However, if you are blacklisted, you must appear in person at a JPJ office (any branch or headquarters) to complete the paperwork process before you proceed to pay off the summons with the discount.

Summons involving an arrest warrant or a trial will strictly be not eligible for 70% discount. This discount is only valid for all active summons and compounds that road users received before September 16, 2021.

The summons can be paid and processed at

• Any JPJ office or branch
• Any Urban Transformation Center (UTC) outlets, kiosks
• Online through the JPJ’s mySIKAP official website.

This generous effort by JPJ might help reduce the financial burden of the people in many ways. There are families who are in desperate need for money and cannot afford to pay much to settle their summons. Even though the 70% discount may seem like a small gesture, it is a great help to someone who is financially desperate during these times. If you have an unsettled summons, this offer is a great opportunity to settle it and save money. Hurry and take advantage of this opportunity by September 16, 2021.

Road tax exemption ends September

AXA AFFIN Life Insurance Berhad has once again launched another amazing AXA eMedic campaign for their customers. From now until 31st December 2021, AXA Care & Share campaign will be giving out Touch ‘N Go eWallet credits to their customers.

For every AXA eMedic purchase that your friend or family member makes using your special code, you will receive RM50 Touch ‘N Go eWallet credit while your friend or family member will receive RM20 Touch ‘N Go eWallet credit. On top of that, for every 5 successful referrals, customers will be rewarded with Touch ‘N Go eWallet credits worth one year’s premium for the AXA eMedic policy.

Participate in the AXA eMedic Campaign by purchasing an AXA eMedic policy. All you have to do is click on the button below.

Check your email for a unique code in the welcome email upon purchase of your AXA eMedic policy.

Share your AXA Care & Share unique code to your family & friends and encourage them to protect themselves too with an AXA eMedic policy.

Wait to be rewarded. You and your friend or family member will receive the Touch ‘N Go eWallet credit at least a month after the successful purchase.

• RM50 Touch ‘N Go eWallet credits when any of your friend or family member purchase an AXA eMedic policy using your unique code
• RM20 Touch ‘N Go eWallet credits for your friend or family member who purchased the AXA eMedic policy with your unique code
• One year’s premium* of  the AXA eMedic! Touch ‘N Go eWallet credits for every 5 successful referrals you get

*One year’s premium, calculated based on individual APE

Read More

AXA AFFIN Medical Card Insurance Provides COVID-19 Financial Support