Next of kin can apply for underage parents, bankrupt

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Endowment Fund Sarawak

KUCHING: Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) applicants with underage parents must appoint their next of kin to become a trustee for their accounts, and the application must be endorsed by the EFS Committee.

Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said cases of underage parents were among the anomalies in the implementation of EFS, especially on Bank Islam’s side.

“From the rules and policy set and undertaken by Bank Islam, in order to make a trust account, the applicant must be an adult.

“So if the parents of EFS applicants are also underage, they can appoint the parents of the underage parents (grandparents of the applicants) or other next of kin to apply for EFS, provided that the application is endorsed by the committee.

“Once the parents reach the age of 18, the names of the trustee can be changed and this will be dealt directly with Bank Islam,” she said.

Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Early Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah (fourth left) presents the Endownment Fund Sarawak (EFS) certificates to one of the recipients while others look on during the presentation ceremony at Baitul Makmur building in Petra Jaya, Kuching. Photo: Mohd Alif Noni

Fatimah said the same solution also applied to cases of bankruptcy, blacklist or mule accounts related to the applicant’s parents.

“A person declared bankrupt cannot create a bank account so they can appoint the next of kin as the trustee as long as the application is endorsed by the committee. The same applies to the cases of blacklist and mule accounts.”

Fatimah spoke to the media after an EFS certificate handover ceremony at her office in Baitulmakmur building here, yesterday.

In the case where the legal guardian had passed away, she said a new legal guardian must be appointed.

“Meanwhile, if the child passes before reaching the age of 18, Bank Islam can withdraw the money upon receiving the applicant’s death certificate,” she added.

“At the same time, if a baby was born outside of Sarawak, he or she must register the birth at the State National Registration Department (NRD) within one year period.”

She added that EFS applicants could collect their certificates at the nearest Bank Islam branch as proof of registration.

“For those who have yet to register their children, please do so within one year.”