New Interest Rate Framework Effective 2Jan 2015

According to Bank Negara, effective 2 Jan 2015, the base rate will replace the BLR (Base Lending Rate) framework as the main reference rate for new retail floating rate loans. The base rate will be determined by the financial institutions’ benchmark cost of funds and the statutory reserve requirement, which currently stands at 4%. Other components of loan pricing, such as credit risk, liquidity risk premium and operating costs, will be reflected in a spread above the Base Rate.  The reasons for the shift to the new framework are: i) to address the issue of negative spreads between retail lending rates on new loans and BLR; ii) improve the transmission mechanism of monetary policy; and iii) to promote a more transparent pricing of floating rate retail loans. 

Also noted with interest is that Malaysia household debt ratio to GDP had risen to 86.8% in 2013 (vs 2012’s 81.3% and 2011's 76.2%). However, growth had slowed from 13.5% in 2012 to 11.7% in 2013. BNM expects house prices to remain elevated and will continue to be largely driven by the structural mismatch between supply and demand.  

(Source: 2013 BNM Annual Report)