KUALA LUMPUR: Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB) and Maybank Asset Management Sdn Bhd (MAM) have announced a final income distribution of 2.35 sen for Amanah Hartanah Bumiputera (AHB) in the financial year ended Sept 30, 2021.

In a joint statement, the parties said the payout comprised a basic income distribution of 2.15 sen a unit and a bonus distribution of 0.2 sen a unit.

It said the bonus distribution is contributed by PHB, as the sponsor of AHB and is distributable for the first 500,000 units held by the unit holders.

In April, PHB and MAM had announced an interim income distribution of 2.15 sen a unit for AHB with a bonus distribution of 0.2 sen a unit for the six months ended March 31, 2021.

Over the entire financial year, the total income distribution came to 4.7 sen a unit for a total distribution of RM169.4mil.

According to the statement, the final income distribution is tax-exempted and payable net of zakat. It will be credited directly into unit holders’ bank account on Oct 15, 2021.

MAM CEO Ahmad Najib Nazlan said they are working towards introducing a reinvestment scheme particularly for retail unit holders of AHB, whereby income distribution may be be made wholly or partly in units.

“Through this scheme, income distribution will be reinvested and unit holders stand to benefit from the compounding effects.

“In addition, the re-investment scheme allows for automatic increase in unit holdings without the hassle of waiting for available units,” he said.

However, the reinvestment scheme will not be introduced for the current distribution, which will be paid fully in cash.

PHB group managing director Datuk Mahmud Fauzi Muda added that the 4.7 sen a unit net of zakat was a competitive return for the fund.

“During this period, PHB has managed to maintain stable occupancy rates in its retail, industrial and healthcare assets.

“Although there were some decreases in occupancy rates in the office sector, it is reflective of the current declining market average,” he said.

He added that PHB has recently concluded the acquisition of an international educational institution in Johor as well as a 300-bed private hospital in Kuala Lumpur to be leased to KPJ Healthcare Bhd.

He said the fully-tenanted properties raised the group’s property portfolio by RM740mil and will be injected into AHB in the near future.

Meanwhile, the group is actively negotiating the acquisition of fully tenanted logistics warehouses as well as the construction of build-to-suit warehouses and private hospitals to strengthen its position in the healthcare and industrial sector.