KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 31): Malaysia’s official reserve assets amounted to US$102.03 billion as at end-November 2018, while other foreign currency assets stood at US$51.6 million for the same period, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said.

In a statement, the central bank said overall, the detailed breakdown of international reserves under the IMF  Special Data Dissemination Standard format indicates that as at end-November 2018, Malaysia’s reserves remain usable.

BNM said for the next 12 months, the pre-determined short-term outflows of foreign currency loans, securities and deposits, which include among others, scheduled repayment of external borrowings by the government and repayment of maturity proceeds from the foreign currency Bank Negara Interbank Bills amount to US$2.97 billion.

“The short forward positions amounted to US$21.71 billion, reflecting the management of ringgit liquidity in the money market.

“In line with the practice adopted since April 2006, the data excludes projected foreign currency inflows arising from interest income and the drawdown of project loans amounting to US$2.57 billion in the next 12 months,” it added.

The central bank said the only contingent short-term net drain on foreign currency assets are government guarantees of foreign currency debt due within one year, which amounted to US$108.1 million.

There are no foreign currency loans with embedded options, no undrawn, unconditional credit lines provided by or to other central banks, international organisations, banks and other financial institutions.

BNM also does not engage in foreign currency options vis-à-vis the ringgit.