Sun Life Malaysia Empowers 847 TVET Students With Financial Literacy Skills For Working Life

15 Oct 2026

Sun Life Malaysia and AKPK collaborate through the InsureLit Youth Programme to strengthen students’ financial literacy, protection awareness and money management skills

Kuala Lumpur, 15 October 2026 – Over 847 Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) students across the Klang Valley have strengthened their financial and protection literacy as well as money management skills through the 2026 InsureLit Youth Programme, an initiative by Sun Life Malaysia, held in collaboration with Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) and with the support from Jabatan Pendidikan Politeknik dan Kolej Komuniti (JPPKK), aimed at preparing young Malaysians for the financial realities of working life.

The initiative comes at a time when strengthening financial resilience among young Malaysians is increasingly important. Statistics from the Malaysian Insolvency Department show that 5,272 Malaysians aged 34 and below were declared bankrupt between 2020 and early 2026, highlighting the need to build sound financial knowledge and habits from an early age.

Now in its third year, the InsureLit Youth Programme continues to evolve, reflecting Sun Life Malaysia’s commitment to making financial literacy and protection education accessible across diverse learning pathways. Since 2024, the programme has reached over 1,000 primary school pupils, 600-plus university students and 847 TVET students across Malaysia.

This year’s expansion into the TVET community extended the programme’s reach to students preparing to enter the workforce. The programme complements technical training with practical financial capabilities that help students manage their commitments, plan ahead and build a brighter, more secure future.

As TVET graduates take their first steps into employment, financial literacy plays an increasingly important role in helping them navigate financial responsibilities, manage income effectively and build long-term financial resilience through protection. The InsureLit Youth Programme curriculum covered money management, financial protection, takaful, waqf and responsible decision-making through gameplay, problem-solving challenges and digital activities.

Azman Hasim, Chief Executive Officer of Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK), said, “Building a financially resilient generation requires us to start early — not only by imparting financial knowledge, but by helping young people translate that knowledge into responsible financial behaviours. As TVET students prepare to enter the workforce, understanding how to manage income, commitments and financial protection is an important foundation for long-term financial wellbeing. The strong engagement from students demonstrates the value of bringing these topics to life through workshops, digital learning and gamified activities. Through collaborative initiatives such as InsureLit, we can make financial education more practical, engaging and relevant to everyday life, while empowering young Malaysians to make sound financial decisions from the very beginning of their working lives.”

Ho Teck Seng, President & Country Head of Sun Life Malaysia, said, “A first salary brings new freedom, but also new financial responsibilities. Young people need more than budgeting skills, they need to know how to protect their income, their loved ones and their future. Through our InsureLit Youth Programme, we are turning financial knowledge into practical action so they can enter working life with greater confidence and resilience.”

A.Azman bin Arshad, Director, Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, said, “Preparing students for employment also means equipping them to manage life beyond the classroom. InsureLit Youth Programme gave our students practical exposure to financial planning, protection and responsible money management, which are essential skills as they begin earning and making independent financial decisions.”

The programme engaged 847 students from Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Politeknik Banting Selangor, Politeknik Metro Kuala Lumpur, Kolej Komuniti Selayang and Kolej Komuniti Ampang through hands-on activities that applied financial concepts to real-life situations. Students took part in workshops, interactive InsureLit board game sessions and online modules, with selected participants advancing to a final virtual treasure hunt organised with AKPK.

It concluded with the announcement of the top three winning teams, who received cash prizes from a total prize pool of over RM10,000. Four Real from Politeknik Banting was named the champion team, and took home RM3,000, while Funky4 and Teh Ais from Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah won second prize and third prize, receiving RM2,500 and RM2,000 respectively.

Nur Afrina Faqiha, leader of Four Real, champion team from Politeknik Banting, said, "Through the InsureLit Youth Programme, we learned how small spending habits can add up over time. It made us more mindful of our money choices, and we hope more students will benefit from this experience."

About Sun Life Malaysia

Sun Life Malaysia (Sun Life Malaysia Assurance Berhad and Sun Life Malaysia Takaful Berhad) is a 
joint venture by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and Khazanah Nasional Berhad.
 
As a life insurance provider and a family takaful operator, Sun Life Malaysia offers a comprehensive 
range of products and services to Malaysians nationwide and is committed to helping Clients achieve 
lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Sun Life Malaysia distributes its products through a 
range of channels, including bancassurance and bancatakaful, agency force, direct marketing and 
telemarketing, corporate and government business and e-distribution.
 
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a principal operating life insurance subsidiary of Sun Life 
Financial Inc., a leading international financial services organisation providing insurance, wealth and 
asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number 
of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, 
the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda.  
As of December 31, 2025, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.60 trillion. For more 
information, please visit www.sunlife.com.
 
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock 
exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

For more information, please visit www.sunlifemalaysia.com.