Zurich Malaysia is urging vehicle owners to add on special perils coverage in light of heavy rains expected from mid-November by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia). With increased rainfall brought on by the monsoon transition phase as well as the ongoing La Nina phenomenon (until early 2023), flash floods have already impacted some areas and there’s a possibility of more occurrences in the coming weeks.

We’ve discussed the topic of special perils coverage before, but it’s worth repeating that if you don’t have it, there’s not much you can do to submit a claim in the event your vehicle is damaged by floods (or other forms of natural disasters).

In a recent release, Zurich Malaysia says customers can add special perils coverage at any time throughout the year to protect them from loss or damage caused by natural disasters, including floods. The company includes a handy table to show how much it’ll cost you to opt-in for both its Z-Driver and Z-Driver Takaful plans, which we’ve included in this post.

The company also said that 59% of Malaysian motorists still do not have adequate protection against flood damage based on its Impact of Pandemic on Protection survey that was conducted among 990 vehicle owners in September 2021.

Besides floods, special perils coverage can also include landslides and falling trees, both of which are potential perils that the company says Malaysian motorists may not be prepared for. The statistics provided indicate just one in three motorists (34%) reported having coverage for storms, including falling trees, and only 29% are covered for landslides.

As we’ve discovered in our previous post on special perils coverage, the small additional fee relative to your vehicle’s value is worth it. This is especially true if you consider the amount of time and money you’ll be spending to fix your car should the undesirable happen and you’re not covered.