SOME 24,000 women have signed up for the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) new i-Suri programme, said Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh.

The programme is a voluntary scheme introduced by the Pakatan Harapan government to encourage housewives, single mothers, divorcees and widows to start saving independently for old age.

Yeoh told the Dewan Rakyat today that between August 15, when registration opened, and October 15, about 24,000 women signed up for i-Suri.

The three states with the highest number of registrations are Sabah, at 5,377, Terengganu (4,565) and Kelantan (3,897), she said.

“There are ongoing awareness programmes and roadshows on i-Suri, so that more women will know about it.”

She said MPs are encouraged to promote the savings scheme in their constituencies.

Those who sign up for i-Suri enjoy the same benefits as EPF members, such as annual dividends on their retirement savings, withdrawals at the ages of 50, 55 and 60, and incapacitation and death benefits.

According to National Database on Poverty, or eKasih, statistics, there are 221,890 housewives, 98,536 widows and 28,116 divorcees in the hardcore poor segment, who are eligible for i-Suri. – October 30, 2018.