Steady Hands at the Crossing Point
Ferrywell was founded on a simple premise: that people preparing for retirement deserve clear, unhurried support in organising their own records — before they sit down with any adviser.
Back to HomeHow Ferrywell Came to Be
Ferrywell opened its doors in Kuching in 2019, after its founder spent several years helping family members piece together retirement paperwork spread across multiple employers, two EPF accounts, and a box of envelopes that had not been touched since 1997. The process was slow and repetitive — not because the rules were complicated, but because nobody had ever sat down to sort the physical record into a form that could actually be used.
The name comes from the old practice of crossing a river at a known ford — a place where the water is shallow enough to pass, provided you know where to step. Ferrywell marks the crossing point. We do not cross the river for you. We help you gather what you need to make the journey without losing documents, doubling efforts, or arriving on the other side with half a record.
The office on Jalan Padungan has since supported several hundred households across Sarawak, ranging from individuals approaching retirement for the first time to adult children managing correspondence on behalf of an older parent. Each engagement remains clerical. We do not advise, interpret, or represent.
Our Mission
To give every person in Sarawak a portable, well-ordered file of their retirement records before they need one urgently — and the knowledge to keep it current on their own.
What We Stand For
- Plain language in both English and Bahasa Malaysia
- Work that ends with something tangible in your hands
- No advice, no interpretation, no overstepping
- Your documents returned or deleted at close of engagement
- Fixed fees, described in full before work begins
The People at the Counter
Ferrywell is a small practice. Everyone who works here handles real engagements — there are no intermediaries between the client and the person doing the sorting.
Siti Rahimah Abubakar
Principal Coordinator
Siti founded Ferrywell after a decade in administrative support roles across Sarawak's public service sector. She leads all file assembly and retainer engagements.
David Lim Chin Hock
Records Coordinator
David manages the master register for retainer clients and prepares handover packs. He has a background in records management with the Sarawak State Archives.
Nora Anak Ajim
Client Liaison
Nora handles first enquiries and appointment scheduling. She conducts statement reading sessions in both English and Bahasa Malaysia and prepares the bilingual glossaries.
Standards We Keep at Every Stage
Document Handling Protocol
Originals are never retained after an engagement closes. Scanned copies are held only while the work is active, then deleted and confirmed in writing.
Scope Definition in Writing
Before any session or engagement begins, a written scope summary is shared with the client. It states what will be done, what falls outside the work, and what the client receives at the end.
Personal Data Minimisation
We collect only what is needed to complete the engagement. No personal financial data is shared with third parties. Storage is on encrypted drives kept in a locked filing room on the Jalan Padungan premises.
Clear Boundaries on Advice
No member of the Ferrywell team holds a licence to practise financial planning, legal representation, or fund management. We refer clients to registered practitioners when their need moves beyond our scope.
Transparent, Fixed Fees
All fees are stated before work begins. There are no hourly overruns on fixed-scope services and no charges for questions asked during an appointment already underway.
Bilingual Delivery
All sessions, glossaries, and written materials are available in English and Bahasa Malaysia. Clients may switch between languages at any point during an appointment.
Retirement Records Support in Sarawak
Across Sarawak, many working adults reach the point of retirement holding records from four, five, or even eight different employers accumulated over thirty-odd years. Provident fund contribution statements may span two separate EPF member numbers if an account was opened twice. Pension entitlements from public service roles may sit in a separate set of correspondence. Bank statements from a joint account closed before a divorce may hold the only dated evidence of a particular contribution period.
None of this is unusual. What is unusual — and what causes real difficulty when the time comes to see an adviser or solicitor — is that these records are rarely in one place, rarely in chronological order, and rarely accompanied by a clear note of what is missing.
Ferrywell's approach to each file assembly begins with what the client actually has in front of them, not with an assumption that all records will be present and accounted for. The gap list produced at the first appointment is often more useful to clients than the file itself, because it gives them something specific to request from institutions rather than a general sense that something is missing.
The statement reading session grew out of requests from clients who had received a statement but did not feel confident reading it independently. The session does not interpret personal figures — that remains the role of a licensed financial planner — but it removes the uncertainty about what each part of the document is recording. Clients who complete the session consistently say they feel better prepared to ask specific questions when they do see a professional.
The coordination retainer was developed for households managing active correspondence with several institutions at the same time — for example, where a spouse's records involve a former employer's occupational scheme, an EPF account, and a long-standing insurance policy, and letters are arriving irregularly from each. The retainer does not make contact on the client's behalf. It provides a clear register so nothing is lost, and a structured handover so the work can be continued by whichever professional takes on the next stage.
Speak to Ferrywell Before Your Next Step
A short call or email is all it takes to find out which service fits your situation. No commitment is needed to make an enquiry.
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