THE Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has rolled out a series of policy and product enhancements designed to improve retirement adequacy, widen social protection coverage and enhance services for its members.
Among the key measures announced is a significant increase in the haj withdrawal limit from RM3,000 to RM10,000 from Akaun Sejahtera, aimed at helping members better prepare financially for the pilgrimage.
“The requirement to verify balances in members’ Tabung Haji savings accounts to determine the eligible withdrawal amount will be removed, thereby simplifying the application process and enabling members to plan their haj more effectively,” EPF said in a statement.
As part of efforts to support workers in the gig economy, EPF is introducing i-Saraan Plus, a voluntary contribution facility tailored for e-hailing and p-hailing drivers.
The scheme comes with a higher government matching incentive of up to RM600 a year, subject to a lifetime cap of RM6,000.
At the same time, EPF announced that the eligibility age for i-Suri will be extended from 55 to 60. The government matching incentive under the scheme will continue at 50 per cent of annual contributions, capped at RM300 per year and RM3,000 over a lifetime.
The fund also confirmed that its Retirement Income Adequacy Framework takes effect today, providing members with clearer benchmarks for retirement planning.
The framework introduces three savings tiers: Basic Savings of RM390,000, Adequate Savings of RM650,000 and Enhanced Savings of RM1.3 million.
In line with the Enhanced Savings level, EPF will revise its withdrawal policy for members with savings exceeding RM1 million, allowing those below the age of 55 greater flexibility to manage excess funds once their retirement needs are met.
The excess savings threshold that can be withdrawn will be increased gradually by RM100,000 each year over a three-year period, starting from RM1.1 million in 2026.
Concurrently, the eligibility threshold for the Members Investment Scheme will be aligned with the Basic Savings level.
The minimum savings requirement for investment eligibility will be adjusted in stages to ensure that funds used for investment do not compromise members’ core retirement savings.
To further encourage voluntary savings, EPF is introducing i-Simpan for self-contributions and i-Topup for voluntary excess contributions beyond the statutory rate. These new facilities are intended to complement existing options such as i-Saraan, i-Sayang and i-Suri.
EPF said further details on all the initiatives are available in the frequently asked questions section on its website. - January 1, 2026
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