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THE flexible withdrawal facility under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is increasingly functioning as a financial lifeline, with the overwhelming majority of members tapping their savings to cope with immediate living costs rather than discretionary spending.
According to the fund’s latest report, “Enduring Today Shaping Tomorrow: Akaun Fleksibel as a Financial Lifeline for Wellbeing”, 93 per cent of withdrawers used the funds for daily necessities, while 81.7 per cent relied on them to cover emergency-related expenses, underscoring persistent cost-of-living pressures.
“This pattern aligns with earlier findings that identified these two categories as the areas where members found the facility most useful, underscoring its role in meeting immediate and recurring financial needs.
“In addition, nearly three quarters of members (74.4 per cent) used the funds for debt and investment obligations, while 73.3 per cent directed them towards seasonal and lifestyle expenses,” the report said.
Spending patterns show a clear prioritisation of essentials, with around 70 per cent of withdrawals going towards food and routine household needs, significantly outweighing all other categories.
While detailed itemisation was not captured, respondents indicated common purchases included groceries, food, infant formula and diapers, pointing to the basic nature of expenditures.
Healthcare costs ranked as the next most significant use within emergency spending, followed by debt repayments, with 56.6 per cent of members allocating funds to meet financial obligations.
“Together, these findings suggest that the flexible withdrawals serve as an essential buffer for members to sustain their daily necessities, manage health contingencies and meet financial commitments,” the report said.
Only 18.3 per cent of respondents reported using withdrawals for lifestyle purposes.
“This relatively low share suggests that discretionary spending was not a primary motivation for withdrawals, with usage largely focused on essential and risk-mitigating expenditures rather than non-essential consumption.”
The report also highlighted growing awareness among members of the long-term trade-offs involved, noting mixed views on how such withdrawals may affect retirement adequacy.
“Once short-term needs are addressed, members become more aware of the longer-term implications for their retirement savings and the need to rebuild their savings.” - April 9, 2026