KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — Malaysia's international reserves remained usable as at end-March 2020, with official reserve assets at US$101.70 billion (RM443.5 billion).

In a statement today, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said foreign currency reserves (in convertible foreign currencies) stood at US$95.30 billion, while other foreign currency assets amounted to US$30.6 million.

“For the next 12 months, the pre-determined short-term outflows of foreign currency loans, securities and deposits, which include scheduled repayment of external borrowings by the government and repayment arising from the maturity of foreign currency Bank Negara Interbank Bills, amounted to US$6.51 billion,” said the central bank.

The short forward positions amounted to US$13.21 billion as at end-March 2020, reflecting the management of ringgit liquidity in the money market, BNM said in its “Detailed Disclosure of International Reserves as at end-March 2020” explanatory notes, in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard format.

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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, BNM said, adding that foreign currency inflows are projected to be at US$2.48 billion in the next 12 months.

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, amounting to US$227.2 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, it added.

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“BNM also does not engage in foreign currency options vis-à-vis ringgit,” it said. — Bernama