Becoming an EPF member

How To Become An EPF Member?

When you work for the first time, it is your employer's responsibility to register you with the EPF. Your employer will be required to complete Form EPF 3 with your personal details as stated in your National Identity Card. You are also required to affix your right and left thumb impressions on the form. You must ensure that all personal details stated in this form are accurate and true. You must use only a special black ink for imprinting thumb impressions on Form EPF 3 to ensure clarity.

Although your employer is responsible for your registration, you must ensure that the Form EPF 3 is correctly filled because the information in the form will become your main personal records in EPF. The records will be used in all EPF matters that concern you in the future including withdrawals of your savings. You need register as a Member only once.


Your Responsibility
If you are employed and not registered as an EPF member, it is your responsibility to remind your employer to register you as soon as possible. If your employer refuses to do so, you can go to any EPF office to register yourself by completing the Form EPF 3. You can also lodge a complaint on your employer's refusal to register you as a member.

When Should You Be Registered As A Member?
You should be registered as a member as soon as you are employed for the first time to ensure that your EPF contributions can be paid within the stipulated period. For example, if you are employed on 1st January, your employer should register you at the beginning of that month, so that your salary for that particular month can be deducted and paid to the EPF as the contribution for the month of February not later than 15th February.

Checking Your Status
If you do not receive any feedback from the EPF or your employer regarding your registration, you can go to any EPF Office to obtain your membership number or enquire through the telephone by quoting your Identity Card number. You are registered with the EPF once you are allotted with a membership number.

Every member is allocated with only one membership number. This number also acts as your EPF account number. This number must be quoted in all your dealings with EPF when requested upon.

If you switch employment, you are required to inform your new employer of the existing membership number for contributions to be made properly on your behalf. If you fail to do so, your new employer may register you again and the second registration will be rejected by the EPF. If this happens, your contributions may not be credited to your EPF account immediately.

In an unlikely case of you having more than one membership number, you are required to inform the EPF so that your accounts can be merged into one.

Can You Cease To Be A Member?
You are not allowed to quit from being an EPF member for any reason. Every employee is required by Law to be an EPF member. You will cease to be a member of the EPF upon withdrawal of all your savings under the Age 55 Years, Leaving the Country, Incapacitation or Pensionable Employees Withdrawal.


Your EPF Savings Account

Your EPF Account is where all your monthly contributions and that from your employer are credited into.

Effective 1 January 2007, the Account is divided into two parts, namely Account I and Account II. Contributions received on your behalf from your employer will be credited into the two accounts according to the following percentages:

*Account I - 70% of monthly contribution
*Account II - 30% of monthly contribution


These accounts are created for different purposes, and different types of withdrawals are applicable on each accounts:

Account I
Savings in this account is meant to be used for your retirement, and it cannot be fully withdrawn before you reach the age of 55, become incapacitated, leave the country or deceased (payment will be made out to your nominee / heir).

You are allowed to invest part of this savings at your own risks.

Account II
Savings in this Account is meant to help you to make early preparations for a comfortable retirement. Withdrawals are allowed for the purposes of:

*Attaining the age of 50 years;
*Owning a house - the downpayment for your first house;
*Settling the balance of your housing loan - first house;
*Financing education for you and that of your children's;
*Medical expenses for you and that of your children's

The EPF will not consider application for withdrawal from any account for purposes other than those stated in the current law as cited in the EPF Act 1991; EPF Rules and Regulations 1991; and EPF Circular and Procedure.