Malaysia’s international reserves stand at US$132.07b in July

MALAYSIA’S international reserve assets stood at US$132.07 billion as of the end of July, while other foreign currency assets amounted to US$368.5 million, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said.

The central bank said the breakdown of international reserves provided forward-looking information on the size, composition and usability of the country’s reserves and other foreign currency assets, in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) format.

In a statement today, BNM said the IMF SDDS breakdown showed that Malaysia’s international reserves remained usable as of July.

For the next 12 months, predetermined short-term outflows involving foreign currency loans, securities and deposits — including scheduled repayments of government external borrowings and the maturity of foreign currency Bank Negara Interbank Bills — are expected to amount to US$8.31 billion.

“The net short forward positions amounted to US$26.9 billion as of end-July 2026, reflecting the management of ringgit liquidity in the money market,” BNM said.

In line with the practice adopted since April 2006, the data excludes projected foreign currency inflows arising from interest income and drawdowns of project loans.

BNM said these projected foreign currency inflows are expected to amount to US$3.06 billion over the next 12 months.

The central bank said the only contingent short-term net drain on foreign currency assets involved government guarantees of foreign currency debt falling due within one year, amounting to US$1.23 billion.

“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.

“Bank Negara Malaysia also does not engage in foreign currency options vis-à-vis the ringgit,” it said. - August 28, 2026