Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) international reserves amounted to US$94.6 billion (equivalent to RM424.2 billion) as at Dec 30, 2016 compared with US$95.3 billion (RM409.1 billion) as at end-2015.

In a statement, BNM said the reserves level as at Dec 30, 2016 had taken into account the adjustment for foreign exchange revaluation changes.

The level of reserves remained supported by the current account surplus and inflows of foreign direct investment.

These were, however, offset by direct investment abroad by Malaysian companies and some reversals of non-resident portfolio investments.

The international reserves as at Dec 30, 2016 remained ample to facilitate international transactions.

The reserves position is sufficient to finance 8.8 months of retained imports from 8.2 months as at Dec 15, 2016.

The reserves level is also adequate to meet external obligations with a reserves to short-term external debt coverage of 1.3 times.

The short-term external debt refers to the redefined short-term external debt, which includes short-term offshore borrowing, non-resident holdings of short-term ringgit debt securities, non-resident deposits with the banking system and other short-term debt.

The main components of the international reserves were foreign currency reserves (US$87.6 billion), International Monetary Fund reserves (US$0.8 billion), Special Drawing Rights or SDRs (US$1.1 billion), Gold (US$1.4 billion), and other Reserve Assets (US$3.7 billion).

The central bank's assets included gold and foreign exchange and other reserves, including SDRs (RM424.155 billion), Malaysian government papers (RM4.264 billion), Deposits with Financial Institutions (RM1.527 billion), loans and advances (RM7.739 billion), land and buildings (RM2.113 billion), and other assets (RM11.297 billion).

Liabilities comprised paid-up capital (RM100 million), reserves (RM144.856 billion), currency in circulation (RM97.751 billion), deposits by financial institutions (RM170.247 billion), deposits by federal government (RM9.293 billion), other deposits (RM331.827 million), Bank Negara papers (RM8.602 billion), allocation of SDRs (RM8.118 billion), and other liabilities (RM11.798 billion). - BERNAMA