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Kuala Lumpur: The government is considering introducing a basic insurance scheme to help reduce the impact of rising medical costs, says finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan.

He said a joint committee had been established involving the finance ministry, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the health ministry, and several related agencies.

“Among our efforts is the Reset programme to explore how we can create a basic insurance scheme for Malaysians,” he said after launching a RM211 million SME Bank initiative to support the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises.

“The proposal is at the discussion stage to ensure that its implementation is beneficial and will not burden any party.”

The minister said those involved in developing the scheme included insurance and takaful operators and financial sector representatives.

“Once we are ready, we will announce the implementation model. We are also open to suggestions, including models like the Social Security Organisation. The priority is to develop a product that truly meets the needs of Malaysians,” he said.

He was responding to questions on the government’s proposal to allow withdrawals from EPF Account 2 to pay health insurance premiums.