ALLIANCE FIRST FUND IS BEST PERFORMING FUND
Fund wins award two years in a row

Kuala Lumpur, 26 February 2008 Alliance First Fund (AFF), the maiden fund of Alliance Investment Management Berhad (AIMB) emerged as the "Best Performing Fund" under the Mixed Asset Balanced 10-year category ended December 2007 at the Edge-Lipper Malaysia Funds Award 2008. This is the second consecutive year that the Fund has bagged the award.

"We are extremely excited at winning this prestigious award for two consecutive years. This only proves that the AIMB team of dedicated fund managers has managed the Fund well," said Datuk Bridget Lai, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Financial Group.

"Our fund managers have adhered stringently to the Company's tried and tested investment methodology, meticulous fundamental research and robust investment process," she said.

Datuk Bridget said "winning the award was an honour in itself but doing so two years in a row was an added achievement" especially in today's "intensely competitive market where there are many funds competing against one another".

AFF, launched in 1996, is an income and growth fund under the balanced fund category. Its primary objective is to provide a reasonable level of income and capital growth to both corporate and individuals who have a medium- to long-term investment horizon of three to five years or more.

As a balanced fund, AFF is suitable for those who want a professionally-managed portfolio of equity and fixed income securities at an acceptable level of risk.

The Fund's investment strategy is more inclined towards fixed-income securities such as money market deposits, corporate bonds and loan stocks, which provide AFF with a lower level of volatility as compared to pure equity funds. The Fund has a global reach as it can invest up to 50% of its net asset value overseas.