Amanah Saham Bumiputera – Malaysian Unit Trust
Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) is a must have for all Bumiputras in Malaysia. I always recommend my Malay friends, and clients married to Malays, to max out their ASB account ASAP. The reason? Units Trusts which are low risk, capital guaranteed, and only cost RM1 per unit are hard to come by. Especially those who return 7% p.a.
The Basics
Amanah saham is simply the Malay word for unit trust. The term is widely associated with unit trust schemes managed by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).
ASB was launched on May 1989 and may be the most popular unit trust scheme of PNB thanks to its open-ended structure and many benefits. Here more info on the ASB scheme and why it is so interesting:
- Low-Risk
- Capital guaranteed
- Price per unit is RM1.00
- Dividends are exempt of tax
- No sales or redemption charge
- Dividends are computed monthly, but are calculated annually
- Open to Malaysian Bumiputras aged 18 and above. A Trust can be set up for those aged between 12 and 18
- You can only invest up to RM200,000, but your balance can be higher thanks to compounding growth
All this sounds pretty solid by itself. But what really sets this fund apart is its Bumiputra specificity. Thanks to it, PNB will always strive meet Bumiputera’s interest by directing most of its profits to ASB. This explains why ASB has consistently out-performed other PNB Schemes (ASN, ASN 2, ASW 2020, ASM etc.) and why the following performance are so good.
Fund Performance
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Net distribution per unit (sen) | 7.30 | 8.00 | 7.00 |
| Bonus per unit (sen) | 1.25 | 1.00 | 1.75 |
As you can see, the returns are pretty juicy for such a safe scheme. ASB returns and flexibility offer a great venue for Malays to start investing and build up their equity. After all, such schemes were set up for just this purpose (A little history on Amanah Saham Nasional and PNB), and most Malays should take up this low hanging apple and have some ASB in their portfolio mix.
A few related articles:
- How to calculate ASB dividend and bonus
- Why Borrowing to Invest in ASB Is A Bad Idea
- Can You Purchase Amanah Saham Units Using Maybank2U.com?
Note No.1 – This article is not here to judge of the morality of the ASB schemes.
Note No.2 – There has been some discussion in the blogosphere about the Haram status of PNB’s scheme and ASB particularly. If such things are important to you, please do your background research and make sur ASB is following your investment principles.
Is the exemption of tax on dividends only for ASB? What about Amanah Saham Didik, ASM & ASW2020?
I'm a Singaporean, but my mother is a BUMIPUTRA. Can I open an account? Thank you.
Hi
You are not eligible for ASB as you are not a Malaysian
I am a bumiputra (Thai) and married to the Chinese. How will ASB distribute my saving to my kids in the events of my death…can I make a wills?
I am a bumiputra & married to a Chinese. How ASB will distribute my savings to my kids in the events of my death…can I make a wills?
Tough question to answer as it depends where you are located (Malaysia or abroad) and how you plan your probate. The best is for you to check the ASNB website (http://www.asnb.com.my/english/deceased.htm) and get in touch with them to get a direct clarification. A good lawyer may also be a good idea to prepare your will and probate.
Semalam 19 Oktober 2009 harga ASN 0.7687, Hari Ini 20 Oktober 2009 Harga ASN 0.7687, Semalam Indeks Komposit BSKL dalam keadaan yang memberangsangkan, tetapi harga ASN langsung tidak berubah walaupun 0.0001 sen ataupun menurun sebanyak -0.0001, apakah pekerja atau pengarah-pengarah PNB tidak tahu mengira, atau apa yang dilakukan ini bertujuan menipu orang kampong atau bangsa sendiri. Kepada yang ada di atas tu berikanlah jawatan anda kepada mereka yang lebih layak. Bersamalah kita nantikan dividen Amanah Saham Nasional tahun ini dengan alasan-alasan yang sama setiap tahun. – Pelabur Kecewa
Hi,
That's a great info. Thanks for sharing, really like your view. I can see that you are putting a lot of time and effort into your blog. Keep posting the good work.
Hi,
That's a great info. Thanks for sharing, really like your view. I can see that you are putting a lot of time and effort into your blog. Keep posting the good work.
How do you determine that a certain unit trust is low risk?
Let's say that we have max out our asb, that is rm200,000. If it is compounded for 8.5% per annum does that mean we'll have around rm1,000,000 after 20 yrs?
is that means we only can invest minimum rm 200 000 only!!! or is that max…confuse but intresting do so…just more info pls
very interesting and knowledgeable information, thanks for sharing it…..:)
RM200K is the maximum you can deposit in your ASB. Once you reach 200K, you can only grow your ASB by compounding your returns.
Yes.
But I doubt ASB is going to distribute 8.5 sen per unit for 20 years.
My Dad is an Indian but My Mum is a Eurasian and entitle to invest in ASB. I was told that Ineed just to show proof of my Mum ASB investment a/c book and IC at any ASB agent to open an ASB a/c.true?