'Know your rights', Sedania stresses importance of women having financial literacy

KUALA LUMPUR - In raising awareness on women empowerment and financial literacy, Sedania As Salam Capital Sdn Bhd (Sedania As Salam) chief executive officer (CEO) Khairul Nisa Ismail stresses the importance of women knowing their rights.

As a woman, she said it was essential to continue the legacy by practicing prudent saving, investing and engaging in effective estate planning.

This, she said, included understanding what assets to distribute.

"My advice is, no matter what you are as a woman, working or not, married or not, divorced or not, we need to plan our lives from the financial aspect and keep in mind that our assets need to be monitored and that we need to know our rights as women and have educational awareness towards financial literacy and our legacy," she said at a Ramadan iftar programme held at Villa Zamara, Kampung Sungai Penchala, here yesterday.

Nisa said Sedania will soon launch a new product called "Jom Hibah" which aimed at assisting customers, especially women, with estate planning.

"The Jom Hibah service offers interested customers assistance in estate planning, especially for women who may not be fully aware of their rights in this area.

"Through the hibah instrument, I feel like the legacies of the orphans are taken care of and provide single mothers with stable support as they pursue their careers," she said.

Meanwhile, Sedania Innovator Bhd managing director Datuk Azrin Mohd Noor said Jom Hibah will be introduced in collaboration with banks in Malaysia.

He said discussions were being held to finalise the service soon.

He added that the distinction between Jom Hibah and that of other insurance providers lies in Sedania's recognition that relying solely on company-offered insurance or going through insurance agents may be inadequate.

"With us, partnerships are forged with enterprises and banks, which serve as providers.

"We are more excited about working with other enterprises that involve children since we support their rights as well as single mothers.

"We are going to sign with our very first bank soon," he told reporters who were at the event," he told reporters at the event.

The event was also attended by orphans from Baitul Fitrah and 30 single mothers from Persatuan Ibu Tunggal Bandar Tun Razak, Persatuan Anak Yatim & Ibu Tunggal Nur Hikmah and Pertubuhan Ibu Tunggal Kebangsaan Malaysia Parlimen Kelana Jaya.

On the psychological aspect, family counsellor Adlil Rajiah shared how to have financial confidence as well as how to support others with financial problems.

She said it was common for people to express that they did not have money, not necessarily to request for money, but to seek support because they felt isolated with their problem.

"Our responsibility is to support them and ensure they don't feel alone. Additionally, individuals should strive to boost their confidence by validating themselves and refrain from comparing their circumstances to others, as every struggle is valid.

"The environment shapes you and when someone is depressed, they need to check their environment," she said.

Adlil added that to avoid feeling overwhelmed by one's problems, it was essential to address and reevaluate unprocessed emotions, preventing bottled-up feelings from causing further issues.

She said staying connected with reality was also crucial and this starts with ensuring that one is living in a good environment.