Agrobank, firms sponsor coverage for disabled
KUALA LUMPUR: Agrobank Bhd, alongside participating local firms, have recently sponsored 160 persons with disabilities in Sabah via its Agro Nurani Takaful programme, Malaysia’s first personal takaful for persons with disabilities.
The recipients received sponsorship of Agro Nurani Takaful personal protection cards from Sabahbased firms, with the value of the coverage amounting to RM2.02 million.
Agrobank president and chief executive officer Datuk Wan Mohd Fadzmi Wan Othman said Agro Nurani went beyond just coverage as it also fed into Bank Negara Malaysia’s existing Financial Inclusion Framework.
“We believe that financial inclusion is a powerful agent for
strong and inclusive economic growth, as it empowers individuals and the community to better their lives,” he told NST Business.
“One way to increase financial inclusion is by providing access to a range of quality financial services and financing at affordable and competitive rates.
“For example, the minimum takaful contribution for Agro Nurani is RM55 per annum, which is affordable to most,” he said.
Agro Nurani Takaful, which was launched earlier this year in collaboration with Takaful Ikhlas Bhd, is in line with the bank’s mandate to grow the agriculture industry and serve the unserved and underserved community.
“It is a challenge for persons with disabilities to get takaful or insurance coverage as they are considered high-risk. As an agriculture-centric development financial institution that cares for the underserved community, Agrobank introduced Agro Nurani,” said Wan Mohd Fadzmi.
“Agrobank also recently introduced a new programme to encourage local companies to fulfil their corporate social responsibility by sponsoring persons with disabilities so that they can enjoy takaful protection. The programme in Sabah was the pilot for the project.”
Agro Nurani is a takaful protection scheme offered to persons with disabilities aged between 16 and 65, and provides a range of benefits, including coverage for personal accidents, accidental death, natural death, medical treatment due to accidents and hospital allowance for injuries caused by accidents.