Aberdeen Asian Smlr Regulatory News (AAS)

TR-1i: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARESⁱ

1.         Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:ⁱⁱ

Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC

2.         Reason for the notification (please state Yes/No):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights: No

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached: No

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments: No

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights: No

Other: Yes - Update to Total Voting Rights figure triggered this notification.

3.         Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation: ⁱⁱⁱ

Prudential plc group of companies

4.         Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.): ^iv

Registered Holder                                                     Holding

Prudential plc                                                                2,727,546

M&G Group Limited                                                    2,727,546

M&G Investment Management Limited                     2,720,628

M&G Limited                                                                2,727,546

The Prudential Assurance Company Limited           2,720,628

5.         Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or  reached: ^v

13 December 2010

6.         Date on which issuer notified:

14 December

7.         Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached: ^{vi, vii}

See item 13

8.         Notified details:

n/a

A: Voting rights attached to shares ^{viii, ix}

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction (vii)

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments ^{xv, xvi}

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Total (A+B+C)

9.         Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable ^(xv):

Prudential plc (parent Company)

M&G Group Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Prudential plc)

M&G Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of M&G Group Limited)

M&G Investment Management Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of M&G Limited)

The Prudential Assurance Company Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Prudential plc)

Proxy Voting:

10.       Name of the proxy holder:

n/a

11.       Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

n/a

12.       Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

n/a

13.       Additional information:

The notifiable position has not crossed a disclosable threshold. The notifiable position of 7.87% is an exempt holding under section 5.1.2 of the FSA's DTR Handbook.

The trigger for this notification is the movement from 8.73% to 7.85% in the non-exempt holding, which makes up part of the 7.87% notifiable interest.

14.       Contact name:

Charles Mearns, Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd

15.       Contact telephone number:

            0131 528 4132