By Biz Star
Malaysia’s national pension fund, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), was ranked the eight largest fund of its kind in the world with US$94.66bil.
This is according to the latest Watson Wyatt Global 300 survey conducted with Pensions & Investments, a US investment newspaper.
The list included the country’s Pension Trust Fund (KWAP), at 22nd spot with US$14.55bil.
Watson Wyatt Asia-Pacific investment consulting head Naomi Denning said in a statement that Asia-Pacific sovereign pension funds grew by about 20% to US$1.8 trillion in 2007.
“Sovereign pension funds in this region have seen tremendous growth in recent years, along with the rapid growth in assets of sovereign wealth funds,” she said.
She added that strong equity returns last year contributed to the boost in asset growth.
Denning said that among sovereign pension funds ex-Japan, funds that enjoyed growth of more than 30% from the previous year included China’s National Social Security Fund (up to 38th position from 69th), India’s Employees Provident Fund(from 88th to 68th), Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (from 32nd to 22nd) and Thailand’s Government Pension Fund (from 285th to 241st).
