RHB Unit Trust and Fund Investors do their part for the Needy

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2, 2005: For members of the Malaysian Association of the Deaf, the yearly phone call from RHB Unit Trust Management Bhd (“RHB Unit Trust”) is always a reason to celebrate.

It is when everyone in the organisation can look forward to some monetary assistance that will help ease their budget worries. This year, the association will receive RM10,000 to help finance its activities in helping the hearing impaired get a better chance at life.

The annual charity drive by RHB Unit Trust is part of its programme to distribute “cleansed” proceeds from its Mudharabah Fund for charitable causes.

At the end of each financial year, the proceeds from investments by the RHB Mudharabah Fund is “cleansed” to remove all gains derived from business activities that may be deemed unIslamic. Instead of being channelled back to investors, these “cleansed” proceeds are donated to the needy and underprivileged.

RHB Group Executive Chairman Dato Sri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib said the annual event by RHB Unit Trust was part of the RHB Group’s way of doing its part for the community.

“It must also be remembered that the money also came from investors who have put their money in the RHB Mudharabah Fund. I would like to thank the investors for their confidence in RHB Unit Trust and for their continued support,” he added.

This year, a total of RM300,000 will be donated to a total of 30 organisations. Each will receive RM10,000. Today, a total of 24 organisations based in the Klang Valley and other parts of Peninsular Malaysia will receive their share of proceeds. The remaining six organisations, based in Sabah and Sarawak, will receive theirs later this month.

Apart from the Malaysian Association of the Deaf, other organisations that have benefited from the annual RHB Unit Trust charity drive since its inception in 1997 are the Selangor & Federal Territory Association for Retarded Children, Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation, National Council for the Blind, Majlis Kanser Negara, Malaysian Liver Foundation and the Malaysian Red Cross.

The RHB Mudharabah Fund was launched on May 9, 1996 and since the end of its first financial year in 1997, it has been donating the “cleansed” proceeds from its investments to charitable organisations.

Among the organisations that will benefit from this charity drive for the first time this year are Hospis Malaysia and Tabung Thalassaemia Negara.

RHB Mudharabah Fund

The RHB Mudharabah Fund is one of three Islamic funds in the RHB Unit Trust stable of funds. The others are the RHB Islamic Bond Fund and RHB Islamic Growth Fund.

Just like other Islamic funds, investments by the RHB Mudharabah Fund are strictly in accordance with Syariah principles, and closely monitored by the fund’s Syariah panel. It provides investors with a balanced mix of income and potential for capital growth by investing in stocks listed on Bursa Malaysia or any other stock exchanges, unlisted stocks, Islamic Debt Securities as well as other non-interest bearing assets acceptable under Syariah principles.

The RHB Mudharabah Fund is suitable for investors who not only want their investments to comply with Syariah principles, but are also invested in professionally managed portfolios or equities and Islamic Debt Securities as well as a balanced portfolio providing both income and capital growth.

For its efforts in helping the needy and underprivileged in the community, the RHB Mudharabah Fund was accorded the Caring Hearts Award by the Malaysian Federation for the Deaf in October 2003.

RHB Unit Trust Management Berhad

Apart from the three Islamic funds, RHB Unit Trust also manages 13 other funds, including equity funds, growth funds and balanced funds. As at June 30, 2005, RHB Unit Trust already has a total of RM1.5 billion under its management.

It is one of a few unit trust companies that have been upgraded from ISO 9002: 1994 to ISO 9001: 2000. The certification from ISO is in recognition of RHB Unit Trust’s commitment towards continued improvement of the quality of its service to investors. RHB Unit Trust now ranks 9th in the industry in terms of fund size under management.

For more information on RHB Unit Trust Management Berhad and RHB Mudharabah Fund, please log on to www.rhb-unittrust.com.my