KUALA LUMPUR: THE public will have more opportunities to invest in Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) when Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) increases the size of the country’s biggest unit trust scheme from the current 103.7 billion
shares.

While the scheme’s investment ceiling of 200,000 units for adults is maintained, PNB will increase the maximum investment for ASB Akaun Remaja to 50,000 units from 10,000 units. This will take effect from July 1.

The move follows the revision of the eligible age for ASB investors from 12 years old to 6 months old, announced by PNB, the country’s largest fund manager, in October last year.

“We received various proposals on increasing the size of ASB. While maintaining the ceiling of 200,000 units per (adult) investor the board decided to increase the investment limit of ASB Akaun Remaja to encourage
parents to develop a financial plan for their children,” said PNB president and chief executive Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman.

He said this after announcing the income distribution of Amanah Saham Nasional 2 (ASN2) here yesterday.

ASB, launched in 1990 for Bumiputeras, is PNB’s best-selling unit trust scheme.

Last year, some 7.3 million ASB unit holders received an income distribution of 7.65 sen per unit, up from 7.5 sen in 2010.

They were also given a bonus of 1.15 sen.

On the sale of its five non-core companies, he said PNB had received several bids for its unit, FEC Cables (M) Sdn Bhd.

Hamad Kama added that the company expected to make an announcement on the disposal of the remaining four companies by the end of next month.

Earlier, PNB chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid announced a 6.50 sen per unit income distribution for ASN2 for the year ended June 30 last year.

This was one sen better than the 5.50 sen given out a year earlier.

It will involve the payment of RM11.9 million to 8,483 unit holders, who collectively own 183 million ASN2 units.

As at June 22, ASN2 had recorded a gross income of RM15.08 million.

Ahmad Sarji also launched PNB's labur online campaign.

The three-month-long campaign, which runs until Sept 30, offers 165 iPad2s to ASB account holders who spend at least RM2,000 per transaction via Internet banking facilities such as Maybank2u and CIMBClicks.