KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 ― Khazanah Nasional Berhad said today it practised due diligence on its investment proposals, after the prime minister said the sovereign fund would expand its US investments.

Khazanah said to date, it has made 15 investments worth US$410 million in the US, mostly in the technology sector.

"Our investments in the United States represent 1.3pct of Khazanah's portfolio Realisable Asset Value (‘RAV’) of RM145.3 billion as at 31 December 2016,” said Khazanah in a statement.

"Khazanah practices a strict process of origination and evaluation of investment proposals, involving detailed due diligence and multiple investment gates, before submission to the Khazanah Board of Directors for consideration and approval.

"Overall, long-term value creation from our investment portfolio remains steady, with our portfolio Net Worth Adjusted (‘NWA’) having increased 3.1 times, or growing at a compounded annual growth rate (‘CAGR’) of 9.3 per cent per annum, for the period from May 2004 to 31 December 2016,” added the Malaysian government’s strategic investment fund.

In a trip to the White House earlier this week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told US president Donald Trump that Malaysia would help strengthen the US economy by having Malaysia Airlines purchase planes from Boeing, and by increasing US investments by Khazanah and the Employees Provident Fund.