Kuala lumpur: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has declared a 6.15 per cent dividend, which will be credited into Akaun Fleksibel (Account 3 or the flexible account) based on the balance in that account. This announcement was made by EPF chief executive officer Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zulqarnain stated that dividend payments are determined by the balances in the respective accounts, which include Akaun Persaraan (Account 1), Akaun Sejahtera (Account 2), and Account 3. He clarified that dividends cannot be transferred from one account to another, emphasizing the adherence to the EPF Act 1991, which mandates that dividends be credited into the respective savings accounts of members.

Addressing Sunway Bhd's proposed takeover of IJM Corporation, Ahmad Zulqarnain noted that EPF, a significant shareholder of IJM, has yet to decide on the offer. The fund is awaiting the independent advice circular, expected on March 16, before proceeding through its governance process to make a decision.

It has been reported that EPF holds a 20 per cent stake in IJM. Other major shareholders include Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) with under 13.5 per cent, Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) with 9.64 per cent, Ministry of Finance-owned Urusharta Jamaah Sdn Bhd with 2.84 per cent, and Lembaga Tabung Haji with 1.47 per cent.

On the 6.15 per cent dividend rate, in contrast to the 6.3 per cent declared the previous year, Ahmad Zulqarnain attributed the change to Bursa Malaysia's gain of about two per cent compared to the 12 per cent index growth in 2024. He also mentioned that the strengthening of the ringgit influenced EPF's financial performance.

The EPF has announced a dividend rate of 6.15 per cent for 2025 for both conventional and shariah savings accounts, with a total payout of RM79.6 billion. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the fund recorded a total distributable income of RM82.7 billion, marking a 9.5 per cent increase from RM75.5 billion in 2024.