May 4, 2020 – Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund has announced the winners of its 2019 External Fund Managers Awards, selecting Saturna Sdn Bhd for two awards in the FTSE Shariah World Developed Mandate 2019 category: “Best International Equity Fund Manager” overall and “Best 3-Year ROI International Equity Fund Manager.”
“We are honored to receive two 2019 EPF awards as recognition of our dedication to the retirement well-being of Malaysia’s employees. I accept the awards on behalf of the Saturna Sdn Bhd crew, who strive to innovate and continuously improve our asset management performance and create value through Islamic and sustainable investing,” said Ms. Shahariah Shaharudin, president of Saturna Sdn Bhd. “We would also like to congratulate the other 2019 winners on their exemplary performance.”
The EPF External Fund Managers Annual Awards recognizes outstanding performance of asset managers who invest diversified segments of Malaysia’s EPF pool in accordance with specific mandates. The EPF outsources portfolio management to firms based on how well their specialized investment skills and experience match a given allocation mandate and the likelihood of superior risk-adjusted, long-term performance. In 2016, the EPF selected SSB to invest a tranche of the FTSE Shariah World Developed mandate globally in shariah-compliant equities of developed markets.
The winner of the Best International Equity Fund Manager Award is selected on both financial and service criteria. The EPF’s External Fund Manager Department considered SSB’s three-year rolling performance, including return on investment (ROI), time-weighted rate of return, and information ratio, which measured portfolio returns against the FTSE Shariah Developed Index. SSB was also evaluated on standards of compliance, trainings provided, and service quality. As the winner of the “Best 3-Year ROI International Equity Fund Manager” award, SSB earned the highest ROI over the three-year rolling period ended December 31, 2019.
The Annual EPF External Fund Managers Awards Dinner originally scheduled for spring of 2020 was canceled due to the global outbreak of COVID-19.
Malaysia’s EPF, which manages the retirement savings of private sector employees, had 924.75 billion ringgit of assets under management as of year-end 2019.
Malaysian crewmembers pose with officials from the EPF, displaying the 2019 EPF Best International Equity Fund Manager Award. From right to left: Zahid Siddique, EPF Official, Shahariah Binti Shaharudin, Mohd Ezani bin Abu Yazid, EPF Official.
Deputy Portfolio Manager and President Shahariah binti Shaharudin holds the 2019 EPF best International Equity Fund Manager Award. The Portfolio Manager for the mandate is Monem Salam.
About Saturna Sdn Bhd
Saturna Sendirian Berhad, established in 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saturna Capital that specializes in Islamic-compliant fund management services for individuals and institutions. Saturna Sdn Bhd is a licensed Islamic fund manager under the Securities Commission of Malaysia, and is fund manager to the ASEAN Equity Fund and the ICD Global Sustainable Fund.
For more information about Saturna Sdn Bhd, visit www.saturna.com.my.
About Saturna Capital Corporation
“Active investing to reflect your values”
Saturna Capital Corporation, established in 1989 in Bellingham, Washington, USA, is a private, employee-owned, investment adviser with US$5.5 billion in assets under management, providing investment advisory services to mutual funds, institutions, businesses, individuals, and endowments. Saturna Capital is adviser to the Amana Mutual Funds Trust, the oldest and largest family of funds in the US that follow principles of Islamic finance. Saturna Capital is also adviser to the US-based Sextant Mutual Funds and Saturna Sustainable Funds.
For more information about Saturna Capital, visit www.saturna.com.