Sarawak’s EPF active membership up 12.56 per cent as stakeholder partnerships deepen

KUCHING (Dec 12): Sarawak recorded steady growth in active Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members from January to November 2025, rising by 12.56 per cent from 601,000 to 676,000 contributors who made at least one contribution within a twelve-month period.

EPF Sarawak regional director Aminuddin Abdul Aziz attributed this to ongoing cooperation with employers, local authorities, community organisations and even transport providers, which has helped overcome the state’s geographical challenges.

He said the EPF’s partnerships with financial institutions, media outlets, government agencies and others have strengthened public awareness and reinforced trust in the fund’s mission.

“Because of Sarawak’s vast landscape and diverse workforce, collaboration with stakeholders becomes even more crucial. Your support allows us to reach rural areas and deepen our engagement with communities, employers, associations and institutions.

“Currently, Sarawak has over 676,000 active members, and this number continues to grow. The increase reflects our ability to reach more people, including those in remote and informal sectors. But our accessibility is not something we achieve alone.

“Without our partnership with employers, industry players, associations and local councils, many of these communities would remain hard to access,” he said during EPF’s stakeholders hi-tea held here on Thursday.

Aminuddin noted that active employers also increased to more than 40,000 in November 2025, a 2.5 per cent rise from 39,000 in January, although nearly 53,000 employers are registered with EPF in the state.

“This growth is still modest, but it shows progress in compliance and trust. Our enforcement team works closely with employers and agencies such as SSM (Companies Commission of Malaysia) to educate them on the importance of compliance.

“Through collaboration, businesses are becoming advocates for retirement security,” he added.

i-Akaun usage also improved, with active logins increasing by 1.56 per cent to 195,000.

Aminuddin said this came from joint efforts with technology partners and community programmes that delivered digital literacy sessions in rural areas with support from NGOs and government agencies.

He highlighted that basic savings achievement among members aged fifty-five and below grew by 38.6 per cent, rising from 110,000 to 153,000 members.

“This is more than a statistic. It shows that members are not only contributing but saving more for their future.

“This improvement did not happen overnight; it came from targeted financial education campaigns and strategic collaboration with financial institutions to encourage voluntary contributions,” he added.

This year, EPF also partnered with the Sarawak Business Federation to run statewide workshops across major cities including Miri, Bintulu, Sibu and Kuching to increase awareness on the importance of retirement readiness and financial security.

He said such collaboration demonstrates that stakeholder partnerships do more than expand membership numbers.

“We transform, lift and create a stronger retirement ecosystem for all.

“Looking ahead, we are excited about forging similar partnerships with Foodpanda next year. This will allow us to expand our reach into the gig economy and ensure that more workers have access to retirement security,” he added.