Key takeaways
- JANM recorded more than RM13 billion in unclaimed money as at 31 January 2026, and owners or their heirs can claim it at any time because there is no time limit.
- Searching and claiming on eGUMIS (egumis.anm.gov.my) is free, and JANM has never appointed any agent, so never pay anyone a fee or a percentage to claim for you.
- Money becomes unclaimed (wang tak dituntut) when a bank account is untouched by the owner for at least 7 years, or when salary, dividends or an approved insurance claim stays unpaid for at least 2 years.
- To claim your own money you need Form UMA-7, a copy of your IC and an active bank statement in your name; e-wallets, Tabung Haji, loan and investment accounts are not accepted.
- JANM pays within 30 working days of the notice that your documents are verified, and any original documents must reach JANM within 7 working days of applying online.
- For a family member who has died, eGUMIS needs the death certificate and the High Court grant, and their life policies are checked separately on Semak Kasih, launched on 26 June 2026.
What is eGUMIS, and what counts as unclaimed money in Malaysia?
eGUMIS is the online system of the Accountant General’s Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Akauntan Negara Malaysia, JANM) for wang tak dituntut (WTD), or unclaimed money. Under the Unclaimed Moneys Act 1965, banks, insurers, employers and other companies that owe you money but cannot reach you must hand it over to the Registrar of Unclaimed Moneys. Once it has been handed over, your bank or insurer no longer holds it, and you claim it back from JANM through egumis.anm.gov.my or at a JANM office.
The amounts are large. JANM recorded more than RM13 billion in unclaimed money as at 31 January 2026, with RM7 billion still in the unclaimed trust account, the New Straits Times reported. The rest was moved to the government’s consolidated revenue account because no owner or heir claimed it for over 10 years, but the Accountant General said those claims can still be paid through a revenue refund.
JANM sorts unclaimed money into three types:
| Type | When it becomes unclaimed | Common examples |
|---|---|---|
| Money payable to you but not paid | Unpaid for at least 2 years | Salary, wages, bonus and commission; dividends; declared profits; insurance claims approved for payment; expired bank drafts and cashier’s orders; matured fixed deposits with no auto-renewal instruction; deposits and collateral whose purpose is over |
| Bank accounts not operated | No activity by the owner for at least 7 years | Savings accounts, current accounts, fixed deposits with an auto-renewal instruction |
| Trade accounts | No transaction for at least 2 years | Trade creditor and trade debtor accounts in credit (mostly businesses) |
Source: JANM, Wang Tak Dituntut. Companies must keep a register of unclaimed money up to 31 December and hand the money over by 31 March of the following year. A company that does not comply can be fined up to RM20,000, plus up to RM1,000 a day while the offence continues.
From the insurance side, the line that matters most is “insurance claims approved for payment”. If an insurer approved a payout but could not pay it for two years, for example because the family moved house and changed phone numbers, that money can end up with JANM.
How to check eGUMIS for unclaimed money, step by step
- Go to egumis.anm.gov.my, open Semakan (check) and choose Carian WTD (WTD search). There is an English option at the top of the site.
- Enter your IC number and search. The public search only shows how many records match that number; it does not show amounts.
- To see the details, register under Pendaftaran: your full name exactly as on your IC, the ID type (new IC, passport, or business or organisation registration number), the ID number, a valid email and a username. Then verify your email.
- Log in with your username and password, or with MyDigital ID, which the login page offers as an option.
- Search again after logging in to see the details of each record, and print them if you need to.
Things to know before you search:
- You can check family members too. Each login can check the user and up to two other people a day (New Straits Times, March 2026), so you can look up your parents at the same time.
- Only money already handed over appears. The eGUMIS FAQ says only records surrendered by companies can be checked and claimed. A dormant account still at your bank, or a policy still with the insurer, will not show up.
- Old logins get deleted. A JANM notice dated 13 May 2026 says accounts registered for more than 24 months with no active or unfinished claim are deleted automatically. If your old login fails, register again.
- Help is free. Call 03-8000 8600 or email tuntutan.bwtd@anm.gov.my. Every JANM state office holds a monthly briefing on unclaimed money, and JANM has been sending mobile counters on buses to rural areas.
How to claim unclaimed money: documents, payment and how long it takes
Once you find a record, you apply in the same eGUMIS account:
- Select the WTD record and continue to the application.
- Add the recipient and the bank account details, then save.
- Upload every document marked MANDATORI (mandatory).
- Accept the declaration and the terms, then submit.
- Track the status in the portal. If original documents are needed, they must reach a JANM counter, or be sent by registered post, within 7 working days of your online application.
| Who is claiming | Documents listed in the eGUMIS FAQ |
|---|---|
| You, for your own money (insurance, salary, dividends, deposits) | Form UMA-7, a copy of your IC, and a copy of your bank book’s front page or an active bank statement showing your full name, account number and bank name. If your details do not match the record, an original confirmation letter from the company that surrendered the money. |
| Joint bank account | All account holders claim together. |
| Trust account opened for a child | One of the holders can claim, with the parent’s or guardian’s IC and the child’s birth certificate. |
| Banker’s cheque, bank draft or cashier’s order | At least two of three supporting documents (the original or a confirmation letter, and Form AM 80 and Form UMA-8 where needed). The UMA-8 indemnity bond is signed in front of a Sessions Court judge with a RM10 revenue stamp for each item. |
| Company or firm | UMA-7 signed by an authorised officer with the company stamp, a letter of authority, the registration certificate and the company bank statement. No payment to directors or shareholders, except for sole proprietors and partnerships. |
| Heir or administrator of someone who has died | See the next section. |
What the status in your eGUMIS account means:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Deraf | Draft, not submitted yet (kept for 7 days) |
| Pengesahan Dokumen | JANM is checking your documents |
| Kuiri Dokumen | A document needs correcting (kept for 3 months) |
| Baharu | Documents verified and sent for payment |
| Selesai | Paid |
| Kuiri Permohonan | Application rejected |
Payment goes straight into your bank account within 30 working days of the notice that your documents are verified. Tabung Haji, investment and loan accounts and e-wallets are not accepted. There is no fee and no minimum amount, and no interest is paid while JANM holds the money. If a payment fails, eGUMIS has a separate page for cancelled payments and reissue (Bayaran Terbatal dan Penggantian Semula). Source: eGUMIS FAQ.
How to claim unclaimed money for a parent or spouse who has died
Only the owner or a legitimate heir can claim. When the owner has died, JANM pays the person appointed to administer the estate. The eGUMIS FAQ lists:
- Form UMA-7, filled in and signed by the heir or administrator
- A copy of the heir’s or administrator’s IC
- A bank statement in the heir’s or administrator’s own name
- A copy of the death certificate
- The Surat Kuasa Mentadbir issued by the High Court (a grant of probate or letters of administration) naming the executor or administrator
- The original document or a confirmation letter, where relevant
Copies must be certified by the body that issued the document, and a Sijil Faraid is not accepted in place of the grant. If the family has not obtained a grant yet, that comes first: my guide on what to do when a family member dies explains probate, letters of administration and small estates.
Life insurance is a separate check: Semak Kasih
eGUMIS will not show a life policy that is still with the insurer. Since 26 June 2026 there is a free portal for that, Semak Kasih (semak-kasih.mycoverage.my), developed by the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) and the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) under Bank Negara Malaysia’s purview. You register with your name, IC, email and mobile number, then enter the deceased’s ID details and a clear copy of the death certificate. If there is a match, the portal gives you the contact details of the life insurer or takaful operator. It does not pay anything: you still submit the death claim to that company.
| eGUMIS | Semak Kasih | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | JANM (Accountant General’s Department) | LIAM and MTA, under Bank Negara Malaysia’s purview |
| What it finds | Money already handed to the Registrar: dormant accounts, dividends, salary, approved insurance claims left unpaid | Whether the deceased had a life policy or family takaful certificate with participating companies |
| You search with | IC, passport or business registration number | The deceased’s ID details and a JPN death certificate |
| Searches per day | Yourself plus up to two people per login | 3 searches a day (Great Eastern FAQ) |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Does it pay you? | Yes, JANM pays after your claim is verified | No, you then claim from the insurer |
Sources: LIAM, 26 June 2026 and Great Eastern’s Semak Kasih FAQ. As an example of the next step, a Great Eastern death claim needs the death certificate, the claimant’s and the deceased’s IC, a direct credit form, a doctor’s statement if the policy is less than 5 years old, and a grant of probate or letters of administration if the policy has no nomination. Great Eastern estimates 7 to 10 working days to process an online death claim once the documents are complete.
Common mistakes, and the paid “agent” trap to avoid
- Paying someone to claim for you. The Ministry of Finance and the Registrar of Unclaimed Moneys have never appointed any individual or company as a middleman or agent for refunds. Searching and claiming are free, so be careful with anyone who asks for a fee or a percentage.
- Using an e-wallet or someone else’s account. The money is paid only into a bank account in the claimant’s own name. E-wallets, Tabung Haji, investment and loan accounts are rejected.
- Details that do not match. If your name or ID on the record differs from your IC, ask the company that surrendered the money for an original confirmation letter before you apply.
- Sending originals late. Where originals are needed, they must reach JANM within 7 working days of the online application.
- Assuming “no record” means nothing is owed. Companies hand over each year’s unclaimed money by 31 March of the following year, so a record can appear later. Check once a year.
- Thinking old money is lost. There is no time limit to claim. Even money moved to the consolidated revenue account after more than 10 years can still be refunded.
- Forgetting the insurance side. eGUMIS only shows money already surrendered. For a parent who has died, also check Semak Kasih and ask each insurer directly.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. If the estate is disputed, speak to a lawyer.
How to keep your own family’s money out of eGUMIS
Most unclaimed money starts with a simple gap: nobody in the family knew the account or policy existed, or the company could not reach anyone. Four habits close most of that gap.
- Nominate on every life policy. At Great Eastern, policy owners aged 16 and above can nominate, when applying or at any time later. For a non-Muslim policy owner, nominating a spouse or child creates a trust, and so does nominating a parent if there is no living spouse or child at the time. Without a nomination, the insurer pays the person who produces a grant of probate or letters of administration, which Great Eastern says may take several years.
- Keep your contact details current with every bank and insurer whenever you move or change your number.
- Keep a one-page list of bank accounts, insurance policies (insurer and policy number), EPF and shares, somewhere your family knows about.
- Make a will. With a will, your executor applies for a grant of probate; without one, your family has to apply for letters of administration. See will writing with Rockwills.
| Life policy situation | Who receives the payout | Is a court grant needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Muslim owner, nominee is spouse or child | Nominee, under a trust | No, the nominee claims with the death claim documents |
| Non-Muslim owner, nominee is a parent and there was no living spouse or child at nomination | Parent, under a trust | No |
| Muslim owner with a nominee | Nominee, as executor, who distributes under Islamic law | No grant for the payout, but the money is shared by faraid |
| No nomination | The person holding the grant of probate or letters of administration | Yes, which may take several years |
Source: Great Eastern, Make a policy nomination. The nomination form needs a wet-ink signature and a witness aged 18 or above who is not the nominee, and the latest nomination replaces all earlier ones. If you are not sure which of your policies have a nominee, a free policy review is a quick way to find out.
Want help checking your family’s policies and nominations? Ask me
I’m Lulu Loke, a Great Eastern Life Planning Advisor and agent, and a Rockwills representative for wills. I work with families in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, including Seri Kembangan, Serdang, Puchong, Cheras and Bukit Jalil, in Mandarin, English or Cantonese.
- For your Great Eastern policies, I can go through with you which ones have a nominee and help you complete the nomination form.
- If a parent has just passed away, I can walk you through Semak Kasih and the death claim documents for Great Eastern policies, and tell you who to contact for policies with other companies.
- If you want a will, I can explain how will writing with Rockwills works and what it costs before you decide.
- For policies bought elsewhere, I can help you read what they cover and who the nominee is.
The eGUMIS search itself you can do on your own for free; you do not need me or anyone else for it. No hard selling: WhatsApp me your question, then take your time to decide.