“The reserves position is sufficient to finance 8.6 months of retained imports and is 1.1 times total short-term external debt,” it said in a statement today.

BNM said the main components of the international reserves were foreign currency reserves (US$97.3 billion), International Monetary Fund reserves position (US$1.3 billion), special drawing rights (SDRs) (US$1.1 billion), gold (US$2.2 billion) and other reserve assets (US$2.5 billion).

The assets comprised gold and foreign exchange and other reserves, including SDRs amounting to RM446.87 billion; Malaysian government papers (RM10.86 billion); deposits with financial institutions (RM6.67 billion); loans and advances (RM16.30 billion); land and buildings (RM4.16 billion); and other assets (RM14.95 billion).

The central bank said capital and liabilities comprised paid-up capital (RM100 million), reserves (RM178.90 billion), currency in circulation (RM126.73 billion), deposits with financial institutions (RM140.05 billion), federal government deposits (RM8.12 billion), other deposits (RM18.93 billion), BNM papers (RM13.40 billion), allocation of SDRs (RM7.93 billion) and other liabilities (RM5.65 billion).