0.1 percent of first-year regular premium equivalent from Family Takaful products launched after 1 August 2025 will be donated to the Community Chest of Singapore
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 30 September 2025 - Etiqa Insurance Singapore, the insurance arm of Maybank Group, today announced a charity pledge linked to the launch of its latest Takaful products. Invest purpose, a new Shariah-compliant investment-linked plan designed for individuals seeking to align their financial growth with their personal values. It marks the latest addition to Etiqa's strategic expansion of values-based insurance portfolio, following the successful return of Takaful to the Singapore market in January 2025. This launch comes shortly after Etiqa introduced Invest vista last month, for its financial advisory partners.
Etiqa Launches Charity Pledge for new Takaful Products As part of this launch, for each policy sold, Etiqa will donate 0.1 percent of proceeds from first-year regular premiums of new Family Takaful products launched after 1 August 2025 to Community Chest.[1] This contribution made by Etiqa, at no additional cost to policyholders without affecting their plan benefits, reflects the company's commitment to creating positive societal impact and reinforcing the Takaful principle of mutual support and shared responsibility. The amount donated for each policy can fund a week's pocket money for a primary school student.
Combining Protection with Purpose
Values-based insurance includes coverage that addresses ethical, social, and personal concerns of customers. Benefits often include risk sharing among policyholders, purpose driven plans that combine protection with transparency.
"Today's consumers are increasingly seeking to align their investments with their personal values — demanding products that deliver not only financial returns, but also a sense of purpose and social responsibility. Etiqa's Charity Pledge, launched alongside our new Family Takaful portfolio, is designed for Singaporeans who want their investments to be a force for good, where every investment becomes an act of impact for the wider community. By combining the principles of values-based insurance with the act of giving, we are offering a pathway to purposeful wealth creation that resonates with a new generation of conscious investors," said Raymond Ong, CEO of Etiqa Insurance Singapore.
Launch of Invest purpose
Invest purpose is a Shariah-compliant Investment-linked Plan that combines wealth accumulation with Takaful coverage through a values-based approach; simultaneously addressing the evolving ethical and societal needs of customers.
Key benefits of Invest purpose include:
- Protection from life's uncertainties: Takaful coverage for death and terminal illness, with the option to enhance protection through an additional rider.
- Tailored flexibility for one's financial journey: Policyholders can choose from premium terms of 10, 15 or 20 years, pause premiums without fees[2], and make two free partial withdrawals from year 4 of their policy.
- A legacy of purpose: Policyholders can extend the spirit of giving by leaving a lasting legacy. They can nominate beneficiaries for living and/or death benefits or establish a Wakaf (charitable endowment)[3] to support meaningful causes.
To learn more about Invest purpose, please visit: www.etiqa.com.sg/invest-purpose
Invest purpose is underwritten by Etiqa and is a Takaful product certified as Shariah-compliant by Financial Shariah Advisory and Consultancy (FSAC) of Pergas Singapore.
Etiqa Insurance Singapore provides a comprehensive approach to serving the company's diverse customer base through multi-channel sales. Invest purpose is available through Maybank Singapore while Invest vista is distributed through Etiqa's own Advisory channel and financial advisory partners from August 2025.
[1] Donation of the amount equivalent to 0.1% of first-year premium received will apply for new regular premium Family Takaful (Life insurance) products launched by Etiqa Insurance Singapore after 1 August 2025. Policies must remain active at the time of the donation to Community Chest.
[2] The Premium-Free Period is a policy feature that allows you to pause regular premium payments without incurring a shortfall charge. Duration of the Premium-Free Period varies by policy year and your chosen premium payment term. Please refer to the policy contract for full details.
[3] Wakaf is an ongoing charity, a voluntary charitable endowment from one's personal belongings or wealth in the form of cash/property for pious and religious causes.
Hashtag: #EtiqaSingapore #EtiqaSG
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd.
Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd. (EIPL) is a life and general insurance company licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and governed by the Insurance Act 1966. Having protected customers in Singapore since 1961 under the name United General Insurance Co. Sdn. Bhd., the company transitioned into the Singapore branch of Etiqa Insurance Berhad in 2009. Today, EIPL in Singapore stands as the pivotal operating entity of Etiqa Insurance Group, a leading insurance and takaful provider in ASEAN.
EIPL offers a comprehensive range of life and general insurance products accessible through its diverse distribution channels, including bancassurance, agents, brokers, financial advisers, partnerships, direct and online sales via Tiq by Etiqa. Etiqa is rated 'A' by credit rating agency Fitch for the group's 'Favorable' business profile. EIPL is owned by Maybank Ageas Holdings Berhad, a joint venture combining local market expertise with international insurance knowledge, with 69% ownership by Maybank, the fourth largest banking group in Southeast Asia, and 31% by Ageas, an international insurance group operating across 13 countries.
Maybank Singapore
Maybank is the fourth largest financial institution group in ASEAN by assets. It has been ranked the Best Bank in Asia Pacific and Singapore by The Banker in 2023; and the number one domestic bank in Malaysia for trade finance, according to the Euromoney Trade Finance survey in 2024.
Maybank Singapore is one of the Group's largest overseas operations and a Qualifying Full Bank in Singapore. As at 31 December 2023, Maybank's total assets in Singapore were approximately S$80.26 billion. With strategically located banking branches and over 2,000 employees in Singapore, Maybank is well-positioned to provide highly personalised services and locally oriented solutions that will deliver more value to customers.
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 30 September 2025 - Etiqa Insurance Singapore, the insurance arm of Maybank Group, today announced a charity pledge linked to the launch of its latest Takaful products. Invest purpose, a new Shariah-compliant investment-linked plan designed for individuals seeking to align their financial growth with their personal values. It marks the latest addition to Etiqa's strategic expansion of values-based insurance portfolio, following the successful return of Takaful to the Singapore market in January 2025. This launch comes shortly after Etiqa introduced Invest vista last month, for its financial advisory partners.
Etiqa Launches Charity Pledge for new Takaful Products
As part of this launch, for each policy sold, Etiqa will donate 0.1 percent of proceeds from first-year regular premiums of new Family Takaful products launched after 1 August 2025 to Community Chest.[1] This contribution made by Etiqa, at no additional cost to policyholders without affecting their plan benefits, reflects the company's commitment to creating positive societal impact and reinforcing the Takaful principle of mutual support and shared responsibility. The amount donated for each policy can fund a week's pocket money for a primary school student.
Combining Protection with Purpose
Values-based insurance includes coverage that addresses ethical, social, and personal concerns of customers. Benefits often include risk sharing among policyholders, purpose driven plans that combine protection with transparency.
"Today's consumers are increasingly seeking to align their investments with their personal values — demanding products that deliver not only financial returns, but also a sense of purpose and social responsibility. Etiqa's Charity Pledge, launched alongside our new Family Takaful portfolio, is designed for Singaporeans who want their investments to be a force for good, where every investment becomes an act of impact for the wider community. By combining the principles of values-based insurance with the act of giving, we are offering a pathway to purposeful wealth creation that resonates with a new generation of conscious investors," said Raymond Ong, CEO of Etiqa Insurance Singapore.
Launch of Invest purpose
Invest purpose is a Shariah-compliant Investment-linked Plan that combines wealth accumulation with Takaful coverage through a values-based approach; simultaneously addressing the evolving ethical and societal needs of customers.
Key benefits of Invest purpose include:
- Protection from life's uncertainties: Takaful coverage for death and terminal illness, with the option to enhance protection through an additional rider.
- Tailored flexibility for one's financial journey: Policyholders can choose from premium terms of 10, 15 or 20 years, pause premiums without fees[2], and make two free partial withdrawals from year 4 of their policy.
- A legacy of purpose: Policyholders can extend the spirit of giving by leaving a lasting legacy. They can nominate beneficiaries for living and/or death benefits or establish a Wakaf (charitable endowment)[3] to support meaningful causes.
To learn more about Invest purpose, please visit: www.etiqa.com.sg/invest-purpose
Invest purpose is underwritten by Etiqa and is a Takaful product certified as Shariah-compliant by Financial Shariah Advisory and Consultancy (FSAC) of Pergas Singapore.
Etiqa Insurance Singapore provides a comprehensive approach to serving the company's diverse customer base through multi-channel sales. Invest purpose is available through Maybank Singapore while Invest vista is distributed through Etiqa's own Advisory channel and financial advisory partners from August 2025.
Hashtag: #EtiqaSingapore #EtiqaSG
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd.
Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd. (EIPL) is a life and general insurance company licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and governed by the Insurance Act 1966. Having protected customers in Singapore since 1961 under the name United General Insurance Co. Sdn. Bhd., the company transitioned into the Singapore branch of Etiqa Insurance Berhad in 2009. Today, EIPL in Singapore stands as the pivotal operating entity of Etiqa Insurance Group, a leading insurance and takaful provider in ASEAN.
EIPL offers a comprehensive range of life and general insurance products accessible through its diverse distribution channels, including bancassurance, agents, brokers, financial advisers, partnerships, direct and online sales via Tiq by Etiqa. Etiqa is rated 'A' by credit rating agency Fitch for the group's 'Favorable' business profile. EIPL is owned by Maybank Ageas Holdings Berhad, a joint venture combining local market expertise with international insurance knowledge, with 69% ownership by Maybank, the fourth largest banking group in Southeast Asia, and 31% by Ageas, an international insurance group operating across 13 countries.
Maybank Singapore
Maybank is the fourth largest financial institution group in ASEAN by assets. It has been ranked the Best Bank in Asia Pacific and Singapore by The Banker in 2023; and the number one domestic bank in Malaysia for trade finance, according to the Euromoney Trade Finance survey in 2024.
Maybank Singapore is one of the Group's largest overseas operations and a Qualifying Full Bank in Singapore. As at 31 December 2023, Maybank's total assets in Singapore were approximately S$80.26 billion. With strategically located banking branches and over 2,000 employees in Singapore, Maybank is well-positioned to provide highly personalised services and locally oriented solutions that will deliver more value to customers.
** The press release content is from Media OutReach Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
HKUST Led Project Marks Hong Kong’s First Scientific Payload on the National Space Station
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 May 2026 - The world's first lightweight, high‑resolution, high‑precision synergistic observatory for carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emission point sources – named "MUSICO", Multi‑Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory, led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) – was successfully launched aboard the Tianzhou‑10 cargo spacecraft on May 11 and has arrived at China's Tiangong Space Station. This is not only Hong Kong's first scientific payload deployed on the national space station, but also a historic breakthrough for the city in the development of high‑end aerospace instruments. The project fully demonstrates Hong Kong's strong capability to build national‑level cutting-edge scientific payloads, to participate in long‑term space station missions, and to play a key role in addressing global climate change while serving the nation's strategic "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" goals.
The project is led by an interdisciplinary research team from HKUST, comprising experts from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas, the Division of Environment and Sustainability, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the Division of Public Policy. In late 2024, the project received formal approval from the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CSU.CAS), the general research center for the Space Utilization System. It is jointly developed with the CAS Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, and funded by the Special Call (Aerospace Technology) of the Innovation and Technology Support Program under the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government.
MUSICO is a lightweight, high‑resolution, high‑precision greenhouse gas point‑source detection payload capable of accurately measuring CO₂ and CH₄ — two major greenhouse gases — from space. Smaller than a domestic washing machine, the instrument maintains extra-high spectral resolution and one hundred‑meter spatial resolution. By analyzing intensity changes of sunlight over specific spectral bands as it passes through the atmosphere and reflects off the Earth's surface, MUSICO identifies gas‑specific absorption features to determine gas concentrations and pinpoint individual emission sources, enabling effective monitoring of key facilities such as power plants and landfills.
Prof. SUN Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, remarked, "This HKUST led project represents Hong Kong's first scientific payload aboard the Tiangong Space Station, a major milestone for Hong Kong in the nation's space missions. The national 15th Five Year Plan identifies accelerating green and low carbon transition, building a space powerhouse, and achieving carbon peak as key priorities. The successful deployment of a payload autonomously developed by a Hong Kong research team on Tiangong powerfully demonstrates that Hong Kong scientists possess top tier research and technology translation capabilities in frontier fields such as aerospace technology and green low carbon science, providing the nation with high quality, verifiable scientific data to accelerate the realization of the dual carbon goals."
Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, said, "We are deeply honored that our HKUST research team can participate in scientific missions on the national space station, and we sincerely thank the nation and the HKSAR Government for their long‑standing trust and support. This project not only highlights HKUST's accumulated strengths in aerospace engineering, satellite remote sensing, and environmental engineering, but also proves that Hong Kong's research capabilities can make substantial contributions on the nation's highest‑level aerospace platforms. As the world's first lightweight high‑precision greenhouse gas point‑source detection payload, MUSICO will continue to operate on the national space station, providing autonomous, controllable, high‑reliability CO₂ and CH₄ emission monitoring data that directly support the nation's dual‑carbon goals and provide scientific backing for the 'Beautiful China' initiative and global climate governance."
President Ip added, "In recent years, HKUST has been deepening its efforts in deep‑space exploration and low‑orbit satellite technology — following the successful launch of Hong Kong's first higher‑education satellite in 2023, we are now actively participating in the nation's Chang'e‑8 lunar exploration mission. Looking ahead, HKUST will continue to leverage its strengths in artificial intelligence, robotics, and materials science to accelerate the translation of space‑related technologies and nurture high‑end talent, contributing to the nation's accelerated drive to build a space powerhouse and achieve green, low‑carbon, high‑quality development."
Prof. SU Hui, Project Lead, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, said, "The development of MUSICO involved overcoming multiple critical technical challenges — namely, how to achieve high spectral resolution, fine spatial resolution, and synergistic multi‑gas observation under strict size and weight constraints. The team conducted extensive testing and optimization in optical design, precision manufacturing, and system integration to ensure the instrument can deliver reliable, accurate greenhouse gas data over long periods under high‑speed operation and extreme space environments. Successfully integrating these key technologies into a lightweight payload represents a landmark engineering and scientific achievement, demonstrating that the technology has reached internationally advanced standards."
Prof. ZHANG Limin, Co‑Project Lead, National Engineer Awardee and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at HKUST, emphasized, "MUSICO's observational coverage spans most land and ocean areas across low‑to‑mid‑latitude regions, providing consistent and comparable greenhouse gas monitoring data for different regions. The project's results will be shared with government agencies and research institutions, supporting scientific research and practical applications in the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area and in other parts of China. They will also provide a scientific basis for cross‑regional climate research and emission reduction efforts along the Belt and Road, contributing to the global response to climate change. This is both a vivid example of HKUST's research strength serving national strategy and a concrete practice of Hong Kong's research capabilities contributing to global climate governance."
The research project is co‑led by Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, and Prof. ZHANG Limin, Chair Professor and Head of the same department. Prof. ZHAI Chengxing, Associate Professor of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas serves as the mission system engineer. Other team members include: Senior Scientific Officer Dr. RONG Pingping, Prof. ZHANG Jize, and Prof. WANG Zhe from HKUST's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Prof. NING Zhi, Prof. SHI Xiaoming, and Prof. GU Dasa from the Division of Environment and Sustainability; Prof. MA Xiaojuan from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Prof. ZHU Pengyu from the Division of Public Policy; Prof. GAO Meng from Hong Kong Baptist University; and Prof. LI Jia from Lingnan University.
The project has also garnered strong industry support, including funding from HKUST-incubated startup Stellerus Technology Limited. Meanwhile, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited will collaborate with the project team to explore leveraging the data collected by MUSICO to complement its relevant assessments.
Hashtag: #HKUST
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 May 2026 - The world's first lightweight, high‑resolution, high‑precision synergistic observatory for carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emission point sources – named "MUSICO", Multi‑Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory, led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) – was successfully launched aboard the Tianzhou‑10 cargo spacecraft on May 11 and has arrived at China's Tiangong Space Station. This is not only Hong Kong's first scientific payload deployed on the national space station, but also a historic breakthrough for the city in the development of high‑end aerospace instruments. The project fully demonstrates Hong Kong's strong capability to build national‑level cutting-edge scientific payloads, to participate in long‑term space station missions, and to play a key role in addressing global climate change while serving the nation's strategic "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" goals.
The project is led by an interdisciplinary research team from HKUST, comprising experts from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas, the Division of Environment and Sustainability, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the Division of Public Policy. In late 2024, the project received formal approval from the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CSU.CAS), the general research center for the Space Utilization System. It is jointly developed with the CAS Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, and funded by the Special Call (Aerospace Technology) of the Innovation and Technology Support Program under the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government.
MUSICO is a lightweight, high‑resolution, high‑precision greenhouse gas point‑source detection payload capable of accurately measuring CO₂ and CH₄ — two major greenhouse gases — from space. Smaller than a domestic washing machine, the instrument maintains extra-high spectral resolution and one hundred‑meter spatial resolution. By analyzing intensity changes of sunlight over specific spectral bands as it passes through the atmosphere and reflects off the Earth's surface, MUSICO identifies gas‑specific absorption features to determine gas concentrations and pinpoint individual emission sources, enabling effective monitoring of key facilities such as power plants and landfills.
Prof. SUN Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, remarked, "This HKUST led project represents Hong Kong's first scientific payload aboard the Tiangong Space Station, a major milestone for Hong Kong in the nation's space missions. The national 15th Five Year Plan identifies accelerating green and low carbon transition, building a space powerhouse, and achieving carbon peak as key priorities. The successful deployment of a payload autonomously developed by a Hong Kong research team on Tiangong powerfully demonstrates that Hong Kong scientists possess top tier research and technology translation capabilities in frontier fields such as aerospace technology and green low carbon science, providing the nation with high quality, verifiable scientific data to accelerate the realization of the dual carbon goals."
Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, said, "We are deeply honored that our HKUST research team can participate in scientific missions on the national space station, and we sincerely thank the nation and the HKSAR Government for their long‑standing trust and support. This project not only highlights HKUST's accumulated strengths in aerospace engineering, satellite remote sensing, and environmental engineering, but also proves that Hong Kong's research capabilities can make substantial contributions on the nation's highest‑level aerospace platforms. As the world's first lightweight high‑precision greenhouse gas point‑source detection payload, MUSICO will continue to operate on the national space station, providing autonomous, controllable, high‑reliability CO₂ and CH₄ emission monitoring data that directly support the nation's dual‑carbon goals and provide scientific backing for the 'Beautiful China' initiative and global climate governance."
President Ip added, "In recent years, HKUST has been deepening its efforts in deep‑space exploration and low‑orbit satellite technology — following the successful launch of Hong Kong's first higher‑education satellite in 2023, we are now actively participating in the nation's Chang'e‑8 lunar exploration mission. Looking ahead, HKUST will continue to leverage its strengths in artificial intelligence, robotics, and materials science to accelerate the translation of space‑related technologies and nurture high‑end talent, contributing to the nation's accelerated drive to build a space powerhouse and achieve green, low‑carbon, high‑quality development."
Prof. SU Hui, Project Lead, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, said, "The development of MUSICO involved overcoming multiple critical technical challenges — namely, how to achieve high spectral resolution, fine spatial resolution, and synergistic multi‑gas observation under strict size and weight constraints. The team conducted extensive testing and optimization in optical design, precision manufacturing, and system integration to ensure the instrument can deliver reliable, accurate greenhouse gas data over long periods under high‑speed operation and extreme space environments. Successfully integrating these key technologies into a lightweight payload represents a landmark engineering and scientific achievement, demonstrating that the technology has reached internationally advanced standards."
Prof. ZHANG Limin, Co‑Project Lead, National Engineer Awardee and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at HKUST, emphasized, "MUSICO's observational coverage spans most land and ocean areas across low‑to‑mid‑latitude regions, providing consistent and comparable greenhouse gas monitoring data for different regions. The project's results will be shared with government agencies and research institutions, supporting scientific research and practical applications in the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area and in other parts of China. They will also provide a scientific basis for cross‑regional climate research and emission reduction efforts along the Belt and Road, contributing to the global response to climate change. This is both a vivid example of HKUST's research strength serving national strategy and a concrete practice of Hong Kong's research capabilities contributing to global climate governance."
The research project is co‑led by Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, and Prof. ZHANG Limin, Chair Professor and Head of the same department. Prof. ZHAI Chengxing, Associate Professor of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas serves as the mission system engineer. Other team members include: Senior Scientific Officer Dr. RONG Pingping, Prof. ZHANG Jize, and Prof. WANG Zhe from HKUST's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Prof. NING Zhi, Prof. SHI Xiaoming, and Prof. GU Dasa from the Division of Environment and Sustainability; Prof. MA Xiaojuan from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Prof. ZHU Pengyu from the Division of Public Policy; Prof. GAO Meng from Hong Kong Baptist University; and Prof. LI Jia from Lingnan University.
The project has also garnered strong industry support, including funding from HKUST-incubated startup Stellerus Technology Limited. Meanwhile, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited will collaborate with the project team to explore leveraging the data collected by MUSICO to complement its relevant assessments.
Hashtag: #HKUST
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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