Dividend Declaration

Martin Currie High Income Trust PLC
27 November 2001


                   27 November 2001


                     MARTIN CURRIE HIGH INCOME TRUST plc

                               Interim Dividend

The Board of Directors has declared a first interim dividend of 1.75 pence per
share, payable on 31 December 2001 to shareholders on the register on 7
December 2001.

This payment is equivalent to that made at this stage last year and reflects
the fact that earnings per share over the period are little changed, at 1.80p
against 1.76p. It is the Board's current intention to pay out substantially
all of the company's earnings in each quarter of the financial year to 31 July
2002.

However, the decline in the stockmarket over the last few months has
significantly eroded the company's assets, which have been further reduced by
the repayment of a large proportion of the company's borrowings, with
associated breakage costs. This erosion of the company's capital base,
together with its exposure to a number of split capital investment companies
that have either suspended or reduced their own dividends, makes it unlikely
that the company will be able to achieve a full-year dividend equivalent to
that paid in respect of the year to 31 July 2001.

                                   - ends -

For further information, please contact:



Michael Woodward
Martin Currie Investment Management Ltd     0131 229 5252
[e-mail]