KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) paid the government RM5 billion as dividend in 2025, as compared with RM5.25 billion the year before.

BNM’s total assets as at Dec 31, 2025, stood at RM602.22 billion as against RM621.54 billion in 2024, mainly reflecting currency translation effects amid the strengthening of the ringgit.

International reserves continued to account for the bulk of our assets, amounting to RM509.79 billion (2024: RM520.13 billion).

“Our liabilities comprised mainly currency in circulation (2025: RM177.75 billion; 2024: RM170.72 billion) and deposits by financial institutions (2025: RM118.06 billion; 2024: RM131.92 billion),” the central bank said in its Annual Report 2025 released here today.

For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2025, BNM recorded a net profit of RM12.45 billion compared with RM13.16 billion a year earlier, following total income of RM14.35 billion (2024: RM14.98 billion), net of costs associated with managing the reserves portfolio and monetary operations.

For 2025, BNM spent RM1.86 billion in managing its organisation.

Of the RM12.45 billion net profit, RM7.45 billion (2024: RM7.91 billion) will be transferred to the risk reserve, which stood at RM155.31 billion as at end-2025 (2024: RM147.90 billion).

“As 85 per cent of our assets are denominated in foreign currency, it is important for us to build adequate risk reserves.

“This allows us to cushion against financial market volatility and exchange rate fluctuations in the foreign currency assets,” it said. — Bernama