Capitalise on the long term growth potential of mid to large cap stocks in the Asian region can invest in the Public Islamic Asia Leaders Equity Fund (PIALEF).

[Yong Chu Eu]

Investors seeking to capitalise on the long term growth potential of mid to large cap stocks in the Asian region can invest in the Public Islamic Asia Leaders Equity Fund (PIALEF).

PIALEF is designed to allow investors to capitalise on the growth potential of companies with market capitalisation of US$1 billion and above in domestic and regional markets that comply with Shariah requirements. The fund focuses its investments on companies that have strong growth potential and are traded at attractive valuations with sound fundamentals. These companies are positioned to benefit from the recovery in regional equity markets and as well as a rebound in regional economies.

To achieve increased diversification, the fund may invest up to 98% of its Net Asset Value (NAV) in selected Asian markets which include South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and other markets. Given the above investment strategy and objective, the Fund is suitable for medium- to long-term investors with aggressive risk-reward temperaments.

Benefits of Investing in PIALEF

PIALEF provides investors with the opportunity to invest in mid to large corporations which are better positioned to benefit from the anticipated recovery in regional economies due to their financial strength and dominance in their respective industries. Generally, mid to large companies benefit from economies of scale as costs of production and operating expenses are spread over a larger volume of units produced and sold. As such, these companies tend to have leading positions and established market shares which will enable them to perform well during robust as well as challenging market conditions

In 2009, global and regional equity markets rebounded strongly on optimism that the global economy would continue to respond positively to the various governments' fiscal stimulus measures. Moving into 2010, continued fiscal stimulus and accommodative monetary policies are expected to sustain the recovery of the global economy with regional economic activities envisaged to outpace growth of developed economies. Over the medium-to-long term, regional markets are expected to outperform due to their reasonable valuations, high savings rates, brighter economic growth prospects and stronger fiscal positions.

Growth of Asian economies is mainly driven by robust consumer spending and resilient export demand. The North Asian economies comprising China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea are expected to register positive growth in 2010 following a recovery in domestic demand and exports. China's GDP growth is projected to remain robust at 8.5% in 2009 and 9.4% in 2010 supported by the Chinese government's aggressive stimulus measures and accommodative monetary policy. The South East Asian economies which include Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines are expected to strengthen in 2010 on the back of sustained consumer and investment spending.

GDP Growth Forecast for Selected Asian Economies
(percent)	2009F	2010F
China	8.5	9.4
Taiwan	-3.1	6.1
Indonesia	4.4	5.6
Singapore	-2.0	5.5
Hong Kong	-3.1	4.5
Malaysia	-2.7	4.5
Philippines	1.6	4.4
South Korea	-0.5	4.0
Thailand	-4.3	3.3
Source: Bloomberg Consensus Forecast, December 2009

PIALEF will invest in sectors which include the infrastructure, telecommunications, manufacturing, consumer, technology, conglomerate and natural resources sectors. Over the medium to long term, the infrastructure, telecommunications, consumer and natural resources sectors are likely to benefit from the rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and rising consumerism in emerging Asian countries. The manufacturing and technology sectors are also expected to benefit from the recovery in global export demand for machinery and electronic products.

http://www.publicmutual.com.my/page.aspx?name=article_100118_1200_pg01

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Best Regard,

Yong Chu Eu   杨子佑                           Choong Hui Chuang  庄惠妆

B.Sc, M.Sc (UPM), AFPM, CFP              B.Sc, (UMS), AFPM

012-4142695                                          012-5082695

cey...@yahoo.com                            hui_c...@hotmail.com

Registered Representative of Standard Financial Planner