Although opposition MPs suggested that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) credit the entire 2025 dividend into the more flexible third account to help ease the public’s financial burden during Hari Raya, the EPF has rejected this proposal, stressing that all dividends must, in accordance with regulations, be deposited into the designated accounts and cannot be transferred across accounts.
EPF Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Zulqarnain, while chairing the "2025 EPF Dividend" briefing on Saturday (February 28), explained that under the current EPF Act, dividends cannot be transferred across accounts and must be credited to the original account.
"For example, if the deposit is in Account 1 or 2, the received dividend must be credited to the same account and cannot be directly transferred to Account 3 from these two accounts."
He added that dividends are calculated based on the individual account's remaining balance, meaning that if a member has already withdrawn all the funds from an account, that emptied account will not receive any dividends.
"If there are no savings left in a member’s third account, then that account will not receive any dividends."
Ahmad Zulqarnain also reminded the public that EPF will complete dividend distribution on March 1st, and members can check their dividend amount by logging into the EPF official website, the i-Akaun mobile app, or using self-service kiosks at nationwide EPF offices.
Earlier, PAS Arau MP Dato’ Sri Shahidan had urged the government to consider crediting all of this year's EPF dividends into the members’ third account.
He said that currently, the EPF only credits a small portion of the dividend into the members’ third account (the flexible account), while the remainder continues to be credited into the first account.
Shahidan noted that with Hari Raya approaching, many families will need these funds for expenses, so he hopes the government can consider crediting all of this year’s dividend into the third account.