This article first appeared in Wealth, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on May 25, 2026 - May 31, 2026

At least 31 funds were launched between mid-March and mid-May, riding various investment themes and asset classes, according to the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia (FIMM).

Notable products riding on investment trends include Maybank Global Digital Asset Ecosystem Equity, Areca Small-Cap & IPO and TA Singapore Value-UP.

Private-market and commodity-related products were also launched. The former includes Berjaya Amanah Income Fund, which invests in shariah-compliant rated or unrated fixed income securities, and Opus-Gaia Co-Investment 1, the details of which are scant online.

The Opus-Gaia Co-Investment 1 fund is accessible via HLB Priority, Hong Leong Bank’s advisory-led wealth management segment for affluent individuals. Opus is a local fund house specialising in fixed income, while Gaia Investment Partners is an alternative investment fund manager co-founded by CEO Serena Tan, former executive director of investments, head of private markets and head of the financial institutions group at Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The commodity-related funds include RHB Gold Equity, a feeder fund that channels investors’ money into the Schroder International Selection Fund Global Gold, which in turn invests at least two-thirds of its assets in equities and equity-related securities of global companies involved in the gold industry.

There is also the PMB Shariah Fixed Price Income Wholesale Fund, which invests up to 30% of its net asset value (NAV) in shariah-compliant collective investment schemes (CIS), including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), 20% in shariah-compliant unlisted equities and 15% in shariah-compliant pre-initial public offering (IPO) investments and private equity funds, according to its product highlight sheet.

Launched on March 17, the Maybank Global Digital Asset Ecosystem Equity fund seeks to achieve capital growth by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of global equities directly or indirectly involved in the development, adoption, utilisation or enablement of digital assets and related technologies. These companies may include businesses engaged in blockchain technology, decentralised finance, distributed ledger systems, digital payments, tokenisation and other enabling infrastructure of the digital economy.

The fund invests in listed companies and does not invest in digital currencies or digital tokens. According to its prospectus, it seeks to invest at least 75% of its NAV in equities and equity-related securities, including but not limited to warrants, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) of digital asset ecosystem companies worldwide.

An ADR is a certificate issued by a US bank representing shares of a foreign company, allowing it to be traded on American stock exchanges in the US dollar. A GDR is similar to an ADR but is issued by international banks and simultaneously listed on stock exchanges in multiple countries.

As the fund involves derivatives, such as warrants, its global exposure to derivatives must not exceed its NAV at all times, according to its prospectus. To gain certain market exposure indirectly, the fund may invest up to 20% of its NAV in CIS, including ETFs, provided they are consistent with the fund’s investment objective. Up to 25% of the fund’s NAV will be invested in liquid assets. The fund is benchmarked against the Bloomberg World Large & Mid Cap Index.

The fund manager is Maybank Asset Management Sdn Bhd, while its investment adviser is Lazard Asset Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd. With its global headquarters in New York, Lazard traces its origins back to 1848 in France, with operations across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Its mission is to provide sophisticated and differentiated advice and investment solutions for clients, according to its official website.

The fund comes with three share classes — US dollar, ringgit and ringgit hedged. It carries a sales charge of up to 6.5% and an annual management fee of up to 1.8%. The minimum initial investment amount is RM1,000. Its fund fact sheet was not yet available at the time of writing.

Launched on March 18, Areca Small-Cap & IPO is a wholesale fund that targets investors with a high risk tolerance who seek exposure to small-cap companies.

The fund will invest in companies with a market capitalisation of RM5 billion or below at the time of acquisition that have strong growth potential. It will also invest in equity-related securities, including call warrants, preference shares and convertible instruments.

“The fund will participate selectively in initial public offerings across all market capitalisations. For clarity, IPOs with a market capitalisation above RM5 billion at the time of subscription will be disposed of within 12 months from listing,” according to its prospectus. The fund may also invest in units or shares of other CIS with similar objectives.

An active and aggressive investment strategy will be employed by the fund manager, investing in companies that demonstrate high growth potential with relatively greater risk. This means the investment may be more volatile as the NAV may rise or fall significantly.

However, the fund may adopt a temporary defensive position, which may be inconsistent with its investment strategies and asset allocation, in response to adverse economic, political or other market conditions by holding up to 100% of the fund’s NAV in liquid assets.

In general, temporary defensive positions will be maintained for no more than six months, although this may be extended with approval from the persons or members undertaking the oversight function of the fund during prolonged adverse market conditions.

As part of its liquidity risk management, the fund will hold a minimum of 2% of its NAV in liquid assets and invest a minimum of 20% of its NAV in permitted investments that can be liquidated within three business days. Not more than 20% of its NAV will be invested in permitted illiquid investments, defined as those that cannot be readily liquidated within 10 business days.

The fund will also target an annual income distribution.

According to its prospectus, the fund carries a sales charge of up to 6% and a base annual management fee of 1%. It also imposes a performance fee on appreciation in NAV, subject to a maximum of 5% per annum, with a high water mark provision.

The minimum initial investment is RM10,000, while the minimum additional investment is RM1,000.

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