The Fertility Treatment Assistance and Infertility Advocacy Programme (BuAI), managed by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), is expected to reach 47,000 couples this year. Launched in February 2025 under Budget 2025 with a RM6 million allocation, the programme funds a fertility treatment called intrauterine insemination (IUI) for eligible couples, alongside nationwide awareness campaigns. IUI is a procedure where sperm is placed directly into the uterus to improve the chances of pregnancy.  

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri confirmed the figures at the national Mothers Day celebration in Kuala Lumpur on 11 May, adding that LPPKN has helped over 373,000 subfertility cases to date, with 6,513 successful pregnancies.

Free IUI Treatment For Qualifying Couples

If you qualify, BuAI covers up to two full cycles of IUI treatment, with each cycle estimated at around RM2,000. This includes doctor consultations, pelvic ultrasounds, medications, and the procedure itself.

To be eligible, your combined household income must be below RM10,000 per month, you must be 35 or below, be trying for your first child, and must not have previously received fertility treatment funding from any other agency. You can apply by walking in to any LPPKN Subfertility Clinic or Full Paying Patient fertility clinic, with locations in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Terengganu, Sarawak, and Sabah.

The programme also covers counselling, screenings, and male wellness services at six dedicated clinics nationwide.

Other Ways To Cover Fertility Treatment Costs

If you fall outside BuAI’s eligibility or need treatments beyond IUI, there are two other options available.

As an EPF member, you can withdraw from Akaun Sejahtera to fund IUI, IVF, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Apply at any EPF branch with a medical report and proof of marriage. If your employer or another agency has already covered the full cost, you are not eligible for this withdrawal.

You can also claim fertility treatment expenses as income tax relief of up to RM10,000 for yourself or your spouse, covering IUI, IVF, and related consultation fees and medications. If you and your spouse file separately, each of you may claim under your own assessment up to the RM10,000 cap.

Planning Beyond The Subsidy

BuAI funds two IUI cycles, but success rates vary. If those cycles do not result in a pregnancy, the next step is typically IVF, which is significantly more expensive and sits outside the programme’s scope. Knowing the EPF and tax relief options before you start means you are not caught off guard if treatment needs to go further.

Malaysia recorded 414,918 live births in 2024, the lowest since 1980. A National Subfertility Centre in Shah Alam is expected to be operational by 2030, intended to offer more affordable specialist services as part of the government’s longer-term response to declining birth rates.

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Christina Chandra

Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister’s cats.

About THE AUTHOR

Christina Chandra

Christina Chandra

Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister's cats.

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