By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Dec 24: Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), through its wholly-owned unit trust management company, Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), has announced a total income distribution of 5.75 sen per unit for Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2024 (FY2024).
According to national dailies reports, the distribution consists of 5.50 sen per unit in income and a 0.25 sen per unit bonus, amounting to a total payout of RM10.1 billion, which will benefit 11.1 million ASB unitholders.
As one of Malaysia’s largest fund management companies, PNB emphasised that the 5.75 sen per unit payout represents a notable increase from the 5.25 sen per unit distributed in 2023. Since its inception, ASB has distributed a total of RM196.5 billion in dividends.
ASB has consistently delivered a competitive return, surpassing its benchmark, the Maybank 12-month fixed deposit rate, which averaged 2.64 per cent during the year.
PNB president and Group chief executive officer (CEO) Abdul Rahman Ahmad stated that the 5.75 sen per unit payout is the highest since 2020.
“Last year, we paid out RM9.3 billion. Cumulatively, ASB has distributed RM196.5 billion since its inception,” he said during an editors’ briefing at Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur today.
He attributed the increased payout to stronger performance in the Malaysian equity market, which enabled ASNB to deliver improved returns.
“Dividends have been challenging over the past five years, except for this year, as they reflect the performance of the Malaysian stock market. If the market continues to perform well, we hope to sustain this dividend distribution profile,” he added.
PNB is targeting ambitious growth, with plans to increase its assets under management (AUM) from RM347 billion in 2024 to RM400 billion by 2027. This year, PNB saw a 3.2 per cent increase in the total number of accounts, reaching 16.2 million, with ASNB adding over 400,000 new unique holders.
To encourage recurring investments, Rahman emphasised the importance of fostering stronger saving habits among Malaysians.
“For example, if you save RM150 a month and allow it to grow over 10 years at a conservative 5 per cent annual return (lower than the 5.5-5.75 per cent offered by ASB), you could accumulate close to RM23,000,” he added.
However, Rahman highlighted concerning statistics: 51 per cent of Malaysians have not started investing, and 40 per cent of adults have not begun planning for retirement.
“These are critical challenges we must address. Even those who are saving aren’t saving enough,” he said.
PNB Group chairman Raja Arshad Raja Tun Uda remarked that for over 45 years, PNB has been entrusted with safeguarding the savings of Malaysians.
“We are acutely aware of the broader challenge of insufficient savings and the need to cultivate stronger saving habits among Malaysians.”
He further stated that PNB will continue to enhance its financial literacy efforts to improve the financial well-being of Malaysians across generations. — DayakDaily
