KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Bernama)-- The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will stop accepting nomination forms via mail for processing effective Aug 1, 2012.

In a statement today, its public relations general manager, Nik Affendi Jaafar, said the nomination forms submitted by members' relatives, friends or third parties would be rejected.

The management was taking action to protect confidentiality and authenticity of the nomination, he said.

"The decision to stop accepting nomination forms via mail was made in the interest of our 13 million members given the confidential and important nature of a member's nomination form which determines the beneficiary to the member's savings in the event of death," he said.

He said by getting members to submit their nomination forms in person to any EPF branch, the fund would be able to verify the authenticity thereby preventing any instances of fraud.

"As long as the form is complete which includes having the correct particulars of member and nominee, the percentage of savings apportioned if there is more than one nominee as well as having the member's thumbprint and witness' signature on the document, there is no necessity for a member to bring a witness along to the EPF branch," he said.

He said members who had yet to nominate to do so as soon as possible and to do it when they were still healthy and of sound mind.

"This is to ensure that their EPF savings will go their intended beneficiary and avoid any attempt by dishonest parties to wrongly influence a member's decision when he or she is facing physical or mental illness," he said.