Engineer Ravi Knowledge Chief

Do both if you can, they serve different purposes. i-Saraan (EPF self-contribution for those without a fixed employer) is great because you get the EPF dividend PLUS the government has been giving a matching incentive up to a cap, that's basically free money, take it. Plus your EPF contribution (up to RM4k combined with life insurance) is tax deductible, useful since freelancers pay their own tax. ASB is also solid with consistent dividends but it's a fixed unit trust, different risk profile and unit limits. My approach as a freelancer: park a chunk in i-Saraan for forced retirement discipline (you cannot easily touch it, which is the point), keep an emergency fund liquid, then use ASB for medium term. Don't put everything one place. The forced-lock nature of EPF is actually a feature for freelancers who otherwise never save.