Jelajah Bijak W.A.N.G 2026 To Empower Financial Literacy Among Youth, B40

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (Bernama) -- Great Eastern Takaful Berhad (GETB) today launched the Jelajah Bijak W.A.N.G 2026 (Smart Tour) to empower financial literacy among youth and the B40 community across Malaysia through an inclusive and interactive approach.

It announced in a statement that the nationwide initiative is being carried out through the mySalam scheme and will last 12 months, in line with the aspiration to build a financially more resilient society.

This initiative is based on three main components, including #BijakWang Varsity, a financial literacy competition between universities nationwide, and #BijakWang Carnival, a community programme featuring informative briefings, interactive activities and financial edutainment.

"In addition, there is the #BijakWang TikTok LIVE, which is a live broadcast session with experts, influencers, and the public to deliver financial knowledge in a casual and easy-to-understand manner," according to the statement.

The launching ceremony was officiated by the Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai. The programme was implemented through strategic collaboration involving Great Eastern Takaful, the Financial Education Network (FEN), the Malaysian Takaful Association, FINCO and Peka B40.

Meanwhile, head of the mySalam Scheme at Great Eastern Takaful, Syuhaib Ithnin, said Bijak W.A.N.G. means empowering financial literacy and is based on four main principles: Waspada (Alert), Atur (Manage), Nilai (Value) and Guna (Use).

He said the principle encourages the public to be more careful in using digital financial services, fosters a culture of planning through budgeting and emergency savings, and manages debt responsibly.

"It also protects financial futures with risk protection such as mySalam and takaful for health, income and family," he said.

Jelajah Bijak W.A.N.G is a follow-up programme of the successful Bijak Wang Challenge, organised last year, and is in line with the National Financial Literacy Strategy 2026–2030 (NS2.0).

The programme also raised awareness about the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) issue and personal loans, which contribute to the increase in bankruptcy cases among youth under 30.

As for mySalam, since its introduction in 2019, the programme has assisted over 1.83 million members with claims totalling RM1.33 billion as of Nov 30. The closing date for claiming eligibility for the 2025 is June 30, 2026.

-- BERNAMA