Pelabur Bijak is a free on-line educational game based on the English version of the game called the Wise Investor, which was launched by SIDC in 1999.

“Pelabur Bijak, was created to fulfill the demand for an investment educational tool in the national language,” said Teh Ija Mohd Jalil, Manager of the SIDC.

“The game is a self-learning tool, an innovative and exciting way for the public to learn more about the (capital market) various products and to have a feel of investing in the stockmarket. It can be used in a classroom training environment,” said Teh Ija.

“It also teaches the public about trading strategies which will be useful for them to make calculated decisions when they invest in the “real-world”,” said Teh Ija.

However, Teh Ija stressed it was important that the public seek the assistance of licensed persons when they actually decide to invest.

The Pelabur Bijak, like the Wise Investor, has three categories; trading in shares, bonds and stock index futures. At each selection, players have to analyse and assess economic news and events to determine market direction, and subsequently make a decision on the transaction as to whether to buy, sell or hold their investments. The objective is to make a profitable transaction at the end of the game.

Apart from a glossary on stock market terms, Pelabur Bijak also provides a tutorial on basic investment topics, which includes:

• “Putting your money to work – understanding the need to invest”
• “The five basic investments – determining which investment tool works best for you”
• “Picking stocks – understanding the methods to pick stocks”
• “What your broker does for you – describing the role your broker plays in offering investment advice and/or executing transaction instructions”
• “Reading the stock pages – determining closing price, yield, sales and price change”
• “The golden rules – reviewing 10 basic investment principles when investing in the stock market”