An Accenture survey revealed that aggregators account for 70% of new business premiums in the UK private automobile insurance market. Indeed, two product aggregators platforms are already operating within Bank Negara Malaysia’s Regulatory Sandbox. The Bank is reviewing the regulatory framework to enable the aggregators to operate by the end of this year. 1/5  BIS central bankers' speeches  These are headwinds that the industry has to tackle head-on, and like it or not, they will further intensify. While we cannot stop these changes, we can certainly choose how we respond to it. With challenges are opportunities. These can only be reaped through a combination of traits – greater proactiveness, a willingness to adapt and clear strategic thinking. I do not doubt that this is much harder than it sounds, but I believe a good place to start would be focusing on three priorities. Allow me to elaborate on each in turn. Technology that matters The vision for the life insurance and family takaful industry is to achieve a penetration rate of 75% of the Malaysian population. Within this, the takaful industry has set a 25% target to be achieved by 2020. For this to happen, it is crucial that the industry gets to grips with the shift in market demographics, especially where interactions with technological platforms are concerned. It is imperative that agents embrace technology. A 2017 study 1 by Bain & Company indicates that nearly 60% of insurance customers in Malaysia are digitally active.
Another aspect that takaful agents must recognise is that takaful products embody universal value propositions that would appeal to all market segments, whether Muslim or not. One of the more distinct features of takaful is the distribution of surplus to takaful participants, reflecting the principles of solidarity, risk-sharing and mutuality among takaful participants. The outcome of this are not just socially meaningful products, but also commercially competitive ones. Take a motor takaful product as an example: In addition to the ‘No Claim Bonus’ feature that is common in conventional motor insurance, takaful participants could receive additional financial benefits when the takaful fund performs well through the sharing of surplus. Often, the advantages of the takaful products are not sufficiently highlighted, potentially hampering the competitiveness of takaful products The key is to continuously espouse the value propositions of takaful products. This is an aspect that agents could certainly help to address. The market potential for takaful products is so much larger than what is realised today. Let me offer you two key information. As at end-2016, insurance and takaful penetration in the B40 segment of working age stood at 30.3%, compared with the overall penetration rate of 46.8%. Second, the global Halal industry is worth USD2 trillion annually and Malaysia has a large and growing Halal industry. The question is to what extent the takaful industry fulfills the insurance needs of the Halal businesses.