Checking whether your agent is registered with LIAM, PIAM or MTA
Before you sign anything, it is worth confirming that the person selling you insurance or takaful is actually authorised to do so. Here is how the checks differ by product.
Malaysia's insurance and takaful industry is represented by three trade associations, one for life insurance, one for general insurance and one for takaful, and each has its own way of letting the public confirm who is actually authorised to sell. Because the three products are sold through different channels, the check you need to run depends on what you are being offered.
LIAM: life insurance agents
The Life Insurance Association of Malaysia registers agents who sell life insurance policies. LIAM's own figures put the number of registered agents and bank executives at around 80,000 and 16,000 respectively, and every one of them has had to pass a pre-contract examination conducted by the Malaysian Insurance Institute before they can be registered. LIAM runs an online "Know Your Agent" verification tool specifically so the public can check whether the person in front of them is genuinely registered, and it is worth using before you commit to anything. A registered life agent represents a single insurer and can only advise on that insurer's own products, so always ask to see the authorisation card that LIAM issues, and if you cannot verify someone through the tool, LIAM's own guidance is to call its office directly rather than take the agent's word for it.
MTA: takaful agents
The Malaysian Takaful Association covers agents selling family and general takaful. To register, an agent must first pass the Takaful Basic Examination, organised by the Islamic Banking and Financial Institute Malaysia, in either the family or general takaful track, and registration is then made through the takaful operator (the "principal") the agent represents. The public, and agents themselves, can check registration status through MTA's Public Enquiry System. An agent can only register with one principal for family takaful at a time, though they may register with up to two for general takaful, so an agent claiming to represent several family takaful operators at once is a signal worth questioning. If an agent's authorisation card is lost, the principal has to liaise with MTA to reissue it.
PIAM: general insurance agents
The General Insurance Association of Malaysia represents general insurers rather than running the same kind of public agent lookup as LIAM and MTA. General insurance agents (motor, fire, travel, personal accident and similar policies) are tied to the insurer whose products they distribute, so the more direct check for a general insurance purchase is to confirm the person's authorisation with the insurer itself, or to buy directly through the insurer's own channels. PIAM's role is closer to setting industry standards and consumer education than issuing individual agent credentials.
Why the check is worth the two minutes
An unauthorised person selling insurance or takaful is not just a compliance problem, it puts your premium and your future claim at risk, since a policy sold outside the proper channel may not be honoured the way you expect. Insurance Info's own guidance to buyers is blunt about this: always insist on seeing the authorisation card, and deal only with a licensed insurer, its registered agents or a licensed broker.
If something does not check out
If an agent cannot be verified, or you suspect the person is not properly registered, report it to LIAM or MTA directly rather than simply walking away, since unauthorised sellers affect other buyers too. If you already hold a policy and have a dispute with the insurer or takaful operator that its own Complaints Unit cannot resolve, the next step is the Ombudsman for Financial Services, which can be approached within six months of the company's final decision.
Talk to an advisor
Working with an advisor listed on our advisor directory means you are dealing with someone whose registration has already been part of how they joined the platform. If you are unsure about an offer you have already received, our assistant can talk through what to check before you sign.
Sources
This content is educational information from a licensed advisor, not financial advice. Product details vary by insurer — verify specifics with an advisor.
