The Consumer Advisor

If you need a straightforward and affordable medical insurance, you may need a standalone medical card.  We often read and hear about the importance of having a health insurance coverage, backed by the fact that the cost of a medical treatment has been on the rise over the years. Quoting Antony Lee, the Chairman of The General Association of Insurance Malaysia (PIAM), as saying: “Medical inflation has been on an upward trend with double-digit increases in recent years and is projected to reach 14% in 2019.” What does this supposed to mean? It means that getting a fever diagnosis with medicines and medical certificate at a private clinic can easily cost you more than RM100 per visit. Unless you are settled on relying heavily to the public healthcare system, having a health insurance coverage is a necessity nowadays. Medical insurance comes in 2 options: (1) standalone with no frills medical policy, (2) medical rider attached to a life insurance plan such as an investment-linked poli...

WHEN Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took to the rostrum at the Securities Commission (SC) on June 19, 2023, the market watched with some excitement. Prior to that, a senior Umno politician and a deputy minister had alluded to a potential major move in relation to the ringgit. As the prime minister (PM) — who is also the finance minister — left the event, capital market players were looking at each other, asking if they had missed something. Well, they didn’t. Anwar did announce a few steps for the capital market. But nothing major or spectacular. On the longer term horizon, Anwar floated the idea of attracting family offices to Malaysia. “The Ministry of Finance (MoF) and SC will look at policies to facilitate and attract the setting up of family offices in Malaysia, to promote corporate venturing to drive greater domestic direct investments, and to widen the definition of sophisticated investors,” he said. Family offices are one-stop firms that manage portfolios of super-rich and wealthy fa...

FAMILY offices have the potential to become a focal point of Malaysia’s financial landscape as the government, led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, explores policies to attract these private wealth management advisory firms. The Finance Ministry (MoF) and securities regulator Securities Commission (SC) are actively working to facilitate the establishment of family offices, aiming to drive greater domestic direct investments (DDI) and capital ventures.   With their expertise in managing and preserving wealth across generations, families or individuals, offering a range of customised services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and estate planning, and philanthropy.   The family office market in Malaysia is considered still in its nascent stages and relatively small compared to more established markets such as the US, Europe and Singapore. However, it has been experiencing growth and gaining popularity in recent years.   The exact size of the ...

Finding a good digital marketing agency in Malaysia is quite complicated. There are digital agencies and there are good digital agencies. If you do a Google search, there are plenty of them and you don't really know which ones are reliable and can provide good quality service. We have compiled and shortlisted a list of digital agencies below. The list is based on Google Search Results and information available on blogs and forums. The digital agencies have been arranged in no particular order. The digital agencies have been arranged based on the Alexa ranking of their websites. Disclaimer: A better Alexa ranking doesn't necessarily mean that a particular company is better than the other. Here is the list.  1. Locus - T Online Sdn Bhd Address: Level 17, Menara Amfirst, Jalan 19/3, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Locus-t.com.my: Alexa ranking below 1,000,000 Team: 100 members LOCUS-T is an Internet Marketing Agency, a company that is packed with 20 years of Digital Marke...

Are you thinking of finding the best retirement home  for your parents in Malaysia? With an increasing number of senior citizens in need of affordable and high-quality support services, the demand for retirement homes in Malaysia is on the rise.  In fact, Malaysia ranks among the top 10 retirement destinations globally, according to the 2025 Annual Global Retirement Index . The country’s appeal lies in its clean, modern cities, excellent public transport system, and warm, welcoming people—often regarded as the friendliest in Asia. Unlike other Asian destinations that either cater to budget or luxury travelers, Malaysia offers an impressive balance of both. Before diving into your options, it’s important to understand some of the terminology used in retirement living. Terms like retirement village , retirement home , retirement resort , old folks’ home , nursing home , and dual-key units can be confusing. For clarity, we’ll use the definitions provided by Malaysia’s Ministry ...