KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) international reserves amounted to US$105.7 billion as at December 15 compared to US$105.3 billion at November 30.

The reserves position is sufficient to finance 8.8 months of retained imports and is 1.2 times total short-term external debt, BNM said in a statement today.

It said the main components of the international reserves were foreign currency reserves (US$96.7 billion), International Monetary Fund reserves position (US$1.4 billion), Special Drawing Rights (SDRs; US$1.1 billion), gold (US$2.4 billion), and other reserve assets (US$4.1 billion).

The assets comprised gold and foreign exchange and other reserves, including SDRs amounting to RM439.10 billion, Malaysian government papers (RM11.15 billion), deposits with financial institutions (RM2.47 billion), loans and advances (RM17.51 billion), land and buildings (RM4.16 billion), and other assets (RM14.29 billion).

The central bank added that capital and liabilities comprised paid-up capital (RM100 million), reserves (RM172.60 billion), currency in circulation (RM128.91 billion), deposits by financial institutions (RM139.32 billion), federal government deposits (RM10.46 billion), other deposits (RM12.93 billion), Bank Negara papers (RM11.36 billion), allocation of SDRs (RM7.86 billion), and other liabilities (RM5.13 billion). — Bernama