KUALA LUMPUR: The 6.15 per cent dividend rate declared by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for both conventional and syariah savings for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2025, reflects the national retirement fund’s ability to sustain its performance amid a challenging global economic environment, experts say.
Senior lecturer at the School of Economics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Dr Wye Chung Khain, said the performance underscores the MADANI Government’s efficiency in strengthening the national remuneration system.
He said the rate not only met market expectations but also signalled the government’s continued commitment to sustaining retirement savings through prudent, long-term fund management.
He said the dividend is expected to boost foreign investor confidence in Malaysia’s economic resilience, supported by stable, business-friendly investment policies.
“The economy is recording steady growth, low unemployment and rising foreign direct investment.
“All of this creates a strong investment foundation to draw more high-quality foreign investors, especially in digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI),” he told Bernama recently.
Wye said government policies on human capital, skills development, and active ageing also bolster long-term economic resilience.
Meanwhile, a senior lecturer at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Associate Professor Dr Md Fauzi Ahmad, said contributors may hope for higher rates, but the retirement fund’s performance hinges on capital markets and global factors.
He said the 6.15 per cent rate is slightly down from 6.30 per cent in 2024, but still shows resilience amid uncertainties, including tensions in the Middle East and the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
He said that the stronger ringgit also affects the value of foreign investment returns when converted into the local currency.
On Saturday, the EPF declared a 6.15 per cent dividend for 2025 for both accounts, with a total distribution of RM79.6 billion.
For the year ending Dec 31, 2025, the fund posted distributable income of RM82.7 billion, up 9.5 per cent from RM75.5 billion in 2024, with membership rising to 18.1 million. – BERNAMA
