About AIA
The American International Assurance Company, Limited (AIA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the New York-based American International Group, Inc. (AIG).
The insurer we know today as AIA, was founded by the late Cornelius Vander Starr as INTASCO (International Assurance Company, Limited). The company was incorporated in Hong Kong, and began operations in Shanghai on April 14, 1931.
Business was disrupted when the Japanese occupied Shanghai at the beginning World War II. The Company closed its offices in Southeast Asia until after the war. When the fighting ended in 1945, INTASCO was back in Shanghai less than two weeks after the Japanese surrender.
In 1947, the regional headquarters was transferred to Hong Kong. A year later, INTASCO changed its name to American International Assurance Company, Limited. Today, AIA stands as the number one life insurer in Southeast Asia. AIA in Malaysia AIA began operations in what was then Malaya in 1948, with a presence in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh, Sandakan and Kuching. As business grew in the 1950s, AIA expanded to Malacca in 1951, Kota Bharu (1953), and Bukit Mertajam (1956).
The company's ambitious expansion program of the 1960s led to the growth of its branch network, to include the major towns of Alor Setar, Seremban, Kota Kinabalu, Kulim, Kuantan, Johor Bahru and Taiping. It was also at this time that the Kuala Lumpur office was upgraded to become AIA's regional office for Malaysia. Wisma AIA was officially opened by then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman on February 16, 1965.
AIA experienced strong regional growth in the 70s, prompting it to expand further, to Batu Pahat, Tawau, Sibu, Sungei Petani, Miri and Kluang. Today, we have a network of 23 branches throughout the nation, 19 of which are housed in our own buildings. And as a sign of the company's strength and progress, the Kuala Lumpur regional office is being redeveloped as the 30-level AIA Twin Towers. |
