Bereavement award

A bereavement award is a fixed statutory sum paid to the closest family of someone killed in an accident, on top of any dependency claim for lost support.

Malaysia sets this sum by statute rather than leaving it to the court’s discretion, and the eligible class was widened to the spouse, parents and children of the deceased. Following the Civil Law (Amendment) Act 2019, the figure is RM30,000, subject to current law.^[1]

The bereavement award recognises the loss of a relationship, while the dependency claim separately values the financial support that was lost. The two are claimed together but serve different purposes.

Who can claim after a death explains the eligible family members in full.