LETTER | I write as a concerned member of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), in light of recent media discussions surrounding the transactions and proposals involving Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB).

As an EPF contributor, my primary concern and interest is the healthy and sustainable dividend payment each year, and hopefully, the dividend payout in a few months will be better than last year. So whatever investment strategies are employed by EPF, it must ultimately deliver strong returns to the members.

While I understand the complexities of managing a large investment portfolio, including share trading activities, EPF's track record with MAHB has been positive. Based on news reporting, EPF has been a shareholder of MAHB since its initial public offering (IPO) in 1999, the IPO price then was RM2.50.

It is reasonable to expect that EPF has generated a hefty return on its investment in MAHB since then, even when it sold the shares recently.

I am in full support of EPF’s strategic decision to increase its stake in MAHB to 30 percent through a privatisation offer, although its partnership with GIP/Blackrock is open to debate. MAHB is a good company, has a monopoly on airport management in Malaysia, and owns one of the busiest airports in Europe, so the prospect is good.

It should continue to give EPF good returns, as long as there is no hanky panky in soon-to-be-a private entity. The governance in MAHB must be strictly monitored and adopted.

While it is understandable - as it should be - of the growing trend of political interference in corporate matters especially when dealing with public assets, it is unfortunate when political figures misrepresent and undermine the credibility of EPF.

Such actions erode investors’ confidence, including EPF members. Corporate Malaysia is increasingly being politicised, and the risk of undermining investor confidence is rising, which is not positive for the country.

As an EPF member, I urge EPF to remain focused on its core mandate: maximising returns so its members can retire well. Our retirement money is in your hands, execute the responsibility well.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.