KUCHING: State-owned unit trust fund Amanah Saham Sarawak (Assar) may expand investment opportunities to the non-bumiputra community in Sarawak, says Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
The Premier said Assar's board of directors and management had been tasked with looking into the matter.
"At the moment, the fund is only open to the bumiputra community. We are looking at what Permodalan Nasional Bhd has done.
"We may offer a second fund for the non-bumiputra community to invest in Assar," he told reporters after announcing Assar's dividend here on Monday (July 13).
Abang Johari said the proposal was in line with the state government's policy of inclusivity.
"This means we can have two channels and enable non-bumiputra Sarawakians to invest together.
"But this is subject to the board's review; they will look into it," he said.
Abang Johari also said Assar could explore investment opportunities in Sarawak's growing economy, particularly infrastructure development such as the proposed deep-sea port and new international airport at Tanjung Embang.
"Assar can work with merchant and investment banks to offer bonds or sukuk to those who want to participate in our development," he said.
In his speech earlier, Abang Johari announced a dividend to date of 6.5 sen per unit for the financial year ending June 30, 2026.
This is Assar's highest dividend to date, compared to 6 sen per unit for the 2025 and 2024 financial years.
"Besides distributing a higher dividend, Assar also increased its revenue reserves by 71% from RM11.99mil at the end of the previous financial year to RM20.54mil," he said.
Totalling RM34.35mil, the dividend distribution will benefit 57,926 registered unit holders as of June 30.
It comprises an interim distribution of 3 sen per unit, which was paid on Feb 16 this year, and a final distribution of 3.5 sen per unit to be paid before the end of this month.
