Malaysia’s reserve assets at US$102.36b, says Bank Negara
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s official reserve assets, in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard format, stood at US$102.36 billion (RM416.6 billion) at end of last month.
Bank Negara Malaysia said yesterday other foreign currency assets amounted to US$653.8 million.
“For the next 12 months, the predetermined short-term outflows of foreign currency loans, securities and deposits, which include scheduled repayment of external borrowings by the government and repayment arising from maturity of the foreign currency Bank Negara Interbank Bills, amount to US$4.03 billion.
“The short forward positions amounted to US$18.36 billion while long forward positions were at US$600 million at end of last month, reflecting the management of ringgit liquidity in the money market,” it said.
In line with the practice adopted since April 2006, Bank Negara said the data excluded projected foreign currency inflows arising from interest income and the drawdown of project loans amounting to US$2.7 billion in the next 12 months.
The central bank said the only contingent short-term net drain on foreign currency assets were government guarantees of foreign currency debt due within one year amounting to US$351.1 million.
“There are no foreign currency loans with embedded options and no undrawn, unconditional credit lines provided by or to other central banks, international organisations, banks and other financial institutions.
“Bank Negara does not engage in foreign currency options vis-à-vis ringgit,” it added.