(Miri, 19th) Miri Member of Parliament Chiew Choon Man stated in a press release that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) was initially set up to ensure Malaysians' financial security after retirement. However, many citizens have depleted a significant portion of their EPF savings before retirement to pay for medical expenses, preventing the EPF from fulfilling its intended function and affecting quality of life in retirement.
Chiew Choon Man pointed out that current healthcare insurance premiums are continuously rising, especially for the elderly, leading many to forego insurance when they need coverage the most due to financial constraints. This adds to the economic pressure on retirees and affects their long-term financial planning.
He cited examples such as Singapore's MediShield Life program, which collaborates with private insurance companies to provide affordable basic medical coverage for its citizens, and Australia's tax incentives to encourage participation in private medical insurance, thereby easing the burden on the public healthcare system. These measures have effectively controlled premium increases and expanded access to healthcare services.
Based on this, Chiew Choon Man recommends that the government introduce an affordable healthcare insurance plan that covers up to 99 years of age. He mentioned that this plan could be implemented by optimizing or expanding the i-Lindung plan, providing subsidies for the middle-income group (M40) and the elderly, and strengthening cooperation with insurance companies to maintain premiums at a reasonable level.
“This measure would help reduce the impact of medical expenses on the middle-income group and the elderly, and through a cost-sharing mechanism between the government and private enterprises, it would reduce the financial burden on the government while ensuring the standardization and sustainability of medical services.”
He emphasized that if the plan can be effectively implemented, the reliance on EPF for medical expenses would decrease, allowing retirement savings to truly maintain living standards instead of being entirely consumed by medical costs.
He further posed the following three questions to the government for clearer policy direction:
1. Does the government plan to introduce affordable medical insurance covering up to 99 years, with specific subsidies for the middle-income group and the elderly?
2. Is the government considering strategic cooperation by inviting insurance companies to participate to ensure broader and more affordable medical insurance coverage?
3. How does the government plan to reduce citizens' reliance on EPF to pay for medical expenses?
Chiew Choon Man Concerns Over Seed Quality Bill, Urges Government to Strengthen Public Consultation
In addition, Chiew Choon Man also expressed concerns about the progress of the Seed Quality Bill and requested further clarification from the government.
He stated that the Bill's Regulatory Impact Assessment Report (RIA) was published by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) as early as June 22, 2018, and it was decided in the parliamentary bill meeting on July 18, 2024, to submit it to a special select committee for deliberation. However, he believes that the bill should undergo more extensive public consultation before being submitted to Parliament to ensure that the interests of all stakeholders, especially farmers, are not compromised.
“Currently, many members of the public and stakeholders still have doubts about the bill, especially due to the lack of sufficient public consultation. Furthermore, the RIA on which the bill was based is a study from six years ago, during which the agricultural sector has undergone many changes. Therefore, the government should reassess its relevance.”
He further pointed out that the bill might affect traditional farmers' ability to share and sell seeds, allowing large companies to dominate the market and create monopolies, thus driving up agricultural production costs and ultimately burdening consumers. Additionally, the reduction of seed diversity could impact ecosystems, making agriculture more vulnerable to climate change and pests.
Based on these concerns, Chiew Choon Man posed the following three inquiries to the government to seek clearer answers:
1. Was there a public consultation conducted regarding the 2018 Regulatory Impact Assessment Report (RIA)? If so, which entities were involved?
2. What were the specific conclusions of the RIA? Will the government provide the complete report to the special select committee for review before the bill is submitted to Parliament?
3. For the latest draft of the bill, has a new public consultation been conducted? If so, when did it take place, and with which entities? In light of some public opposition, is the government considering conducting further, comprehensive public consultations?
Chiew Choon Man emphasized that the government should ensure that the interests of all relevant entities, especially the farming community, are not affected, while reassessing the applicability of the bill to ensure it meets the actual needs of the current agricultural environment.
Chiew Choon Man pointed out that current healthcare insurance premiums are continuously rising, especially for the elderly, leading many to forego insurance when they need coverage the most due to financial constraints. This adds to the economic pressure on retirees and affects their long-term financial planning.
He cited examples such as Singapore's MediShield Life program, which collaborates with private insurance companies to provide affordable basic medical coverage for its citizens, and Australia's tax incentives to encourage participation in private medical insurance, thereby easing the burden on the public healthcare system. These measures have effectively controlled premium increases and expanded access to healthcare services.
Based on this, Chiew Choon Man recommends that the government introduce an affordable healthcare insurance plan that covers up to 99 years of age. He mentioned that this plan could be implemented by optimizing or expanding the i-Lindung plan, providing subsidies for the middle-income group (M40) and the elderly, and strengthening cooperation with insurance companies to maintain premiums at a reasonable level.
“This measure would help reduce the impact of medical expenses on the middle-income group and the elderly, and through a cost-sharing mechanism between the government and private enterprises, it would reduce the financial burden on the government while ensuring the standardization and sustainability of medical services.”
He emphasized that if the plan can be effectively implemented, the reliance on EPF for medical expenses would decrease, allowing retirement savings to truly maintain living standards instead of being entirely consumed by medical costs.
He further posed the following three questions to the government for clearer policy direction:
1. Does the government plan to introduce affordable medical insurance covering up to 99 years, with specific subsidies for the middle-income group and the elderly?
2. Is the government considering strategic cooperation by inviting insurance companies to participate to ensure broader and more affordable medical insurance coverage?
3. How does the government plan to reduce citizens' reliance on EPF to pay for medical expenses?
Chiew Choon Man Concerns Over Seed Quality Bill, Urges Government to Strengthen Public Consultation
In addition, Chiew Choon Man also expressed concerns about the progress of the Seed Quality Bill and requested further clarification from the government.
He stated that the Bill's Regulatory Impact Assessment Report (RIA) was published by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) as early as June 22, 2018, and it was decided in the parliamentary bill meeting on July 18, 2024, to submit it to a special select committee for deliberation. However, he believes that the bill should undergo more extensive public consultation before being submitted to Parliament to ensure that the interests of all stakeholders, especially farmers, are not compromised.
“Currently, many members of the public and stakeholders still have doubts about the bill, especially due to the lack of sufficient public consultation. Furthermore, the RIA on which the bill was based is a study from six years ago, during which the agricultural sector has undergone many changes. Therefore, the government should reassess its relevance.”
He further pointed out that the bill might affect traditional farmers' ability to share and sell seeds, allowing large companies to dominate the market and create monopolies, thus driving up agricultural production costs and ultimately burdening consumers. Additionally, the reduction of seed diversity could impact ecosystems, making agriculture more vulnerable to climate change and pests.
Based on these concerns, Chiew Choon Man posed the following three inquiries to the government to seek clearer answers:
1. Was there a public consultation conducted regarding the 2018 Regulatory Impact Assessment Report (RIA)? If so, which entities were involved?
2. What were the specific conclusions of the RIA? Will the government provide the complete report to the special select committee for review before the bill is submitted to Parliament?
3. For the latest draft of the bill, has a new public consultation been conducted? If so, when did it take place, and with which entities? In light of some public opposition, is the government considering conducting further, comprehensive public consultations?
Chiew Choon Man emphasized that the government should ensure that the interests of all relevant entities, especially the farming community, are not affected, while reassessing the applicability of the bill to ensure it meets the actual needs of the current agricultural environment.