KUALA LUMPUR: Berjaya Mutual Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Inter-Pacific Asset Management Sdn Bhd) aims to increase its assets under management (AUM) over fourfold to RM5 billion within the next three years, up from RM1.2 billion currently.
CEO Eugene Chew Boon Chye said Berjaya Mutual is expanding its product offerings across various asset classes, including fixed income, equity, digital assets, and structured products to attract different investor segments.
“This year itself we have already earmarked eight new funds to be launched. This month itself, the month of May, we have already launched three with the targeted AUM new monies of RM100 million (with a targeted net return of 6%-8% per annum for blended investments and 3% for pure money market instruments). We have another two plans for June and the remaining three plans for the second half of this year. These new five new products expected to generate between RM200 million and RM300 million in new AUM,” he told a press conference at the launch of Berjaya Mutual Sdn Bhd today.
He added that Berjaya Mutual also has products already planned for the next two years in 2025 and 2026 to sustain the momentum and drive further growth in AUM.
Additionally, Chew said Berjaya Mutual is making investment opportunities more accessible, particularly to the unserved and underserved market segments through a lower entry level of RM50,000.
“Typically if you were to engage a licensed fund manager to manage your money via a private mandate structure, you have to put in at least RM250,000. For us, we open up this opportunity for people to come in at RM50,000,” he pointed out.
Chew said the product pipeline will include both conventional (non-Islamic) and syariah-compliant (Islamic) funds.
“Malaysia is the leading syariah investment hub in the world. To complement that, we will be embarking on more syariah-compliant products,” he said.
He explained that one special feature Berjaya Mutual is considering for its syariah products is the inclusion of a Wakaf feature.
“This (feature) allows our investors not only to earn returns but also to contribute via Wakaf. We will be balancing conventional and syariah funds in our product pipeline,” he said.
Meanwhile, chief investment officer Datuk Dr Nazri Khan said Berjaya Mutual investment philosophy involves applying fundamental and systematic trading strategies to identify market structures and trends. “These philosophy and strategy applied has allowed us to be better positioned in different market conditions while minimising downside risks.”
He said Berjaya Mutual implements different investment strategies that aim to yield competitive returns tailored to the risk appetite of the client, whilst all the while aiming to provide a stable stream and rate of return for the client.
“In addition, our fund managers utilise alternative non-traditional investment strategies in search for Alpha (excess return above market expectations) in efforts to generate better returns for our clients,” he said.
The launch ceremony was attended by Berjaya Mutual Sdn Bhd and Berjaya Corporation Bhd chairperson Tunku Tun Aminah Sultan Ibrahim Ismail, and Berjaya Corporation Bhd founder and adviser Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun. The event was also attended by the directors of Berjaya Mutual and the senior management of Berjaya Corporation.
Tụnku Tun Aminah said Berjaya Mutual is also on the lookout for strategic partnerships aimed at enhancing its service offerings whilst recognising the advents of technology.
“We hope the rebranding for Berjaya Mutual enables us to attract strategic partnerships, enabling us to grow together and build meaningful value for Malaysians,” she added.
Tụnku Tun Aminah emphasised that the initiatives by Berjaya Mutual are timely as they will benefit Malaysians from all walks of life.
“We want to become the leading asset management company in the country offering unique investment products tailored for the underserved and unserved Malaysians. This also includes being the destination choice for corporate and institutional clients that strive to achieve attractive returns,” she said.
She reiterated that Berjaya Mutual is dedicated to transparency and success with their clients.
“The new name represents our commitment to putting client needs at the forefront of everything we do,” she said.
The company said the rebranding to Berjaya Mutual is driven by the recognition that the Berjaya brand is an established name both locally and globally.
