PETALING JAYA: Bank Negara’s total international reserves increased marginally to US$119.6bil as of May 30, lifted by an increase in foreign currency reserves.
In the previous update by the central bank, the international reserves were reported at US$119.1bil as of May 15.
Bank Negara said in a statement yesterday that its reserves position as of end-May was sufficient to finance five months of imports of goods and services.
It was also 0.9 times the country’s total short-term external debt.
For context, the short-term external debt comprises borrowings from non-residents with a maturity of one year or less.
It is accounted mostly by resident banks in connection with their foreign currency liquidity operations and multi-national corporations (including foreign banks) borrowing from their overseas parent or headquarters.
Of the US$119.6bil international reserves by end-May, foreign currency reserves made up US$106.4bil or nearly 89% of the total amount.
The remaining amount comprised the International Monetary Fund reserve position (US$1.3bil), special drawing rights or SDRs (US$5.8bil), gold (US$3.8bil) and other reserve assets (US$2.3bil).
The central bank also announced yesterday that its total assets as at end-May amounted to RM627.92bil, comprising gold and foreign exchange and other reserves, including SDRs (RM530bil), Malaysian government papers (RM12.92bil), deposits with financial institutions (RM4.26bil), loans and advances (RM27bil), land and buildings (RM4.58bil), and other assets (RM49.16bil).
Bank Negara said its total capital and liabilities amounted to RM627.92bil, comprising paid-up capital (RM100mil), reserves (RM193.24bil), currency in circulation (RM172.90bil), deposits by financial institutions (RM131.81bil), federal government deposits (RM5.44bil), other deposits (RM82.37bil), Bank Negara papers (RM10.56bil), allocation of SDRs (RM28.38bil), and other liabilities (RM3.12bil).
