MALAYSIA - 2019

MARC has affirmed Malaysia’s sovereign rating of AAA with a stable outlook based on the agency’s national rating scale. The AAA rating reflects the resilience of the Malaysian economy, its effective monetary policy, as well as a healthy external position. Its rating strengths are, however, tempered by persistent fiscal deficits, high government debt and rising contingent liability, as well as high household debt. The stable outlook is based on the expectation that the new administration will continue implementing the governance and institutional reforms it promised in the run-up to the May 2018 elections. We are, nevertheless, cautious about the risks posed by rising geopolitical and geo-economic uncertainties.

Malaysia’s resilient economy, underpinned by its diversified economic structure, significant natural resources and human capital endowments, is an important rating support. Macroeconomic fundamentals remain sound, thanks to continued proactive and practical economic management. Credible policies, adequate buffers, a strong banking system, and a deep and diversified financial market have helped to keep spillovers from episodic financial market volatility into the real economy minimal. It is also globally competitive. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2018, for example, it was the only non-high-income economy to make it into the top 25.

Another rating support is Malaysia’s effective monetary policy. For example, monetary policy transmission to bank lending rates due to favourable shocks to the monetary base is strong. Given that domestic economic and financial considerations are guiding monetary policy decisions, the monetary policy framework has continued to deliver broad output and price stability. Malaysia’s growth and inflation volatility in the post-Global Financial Crisis (GFC) years (2011-2018) came in at 0.6% and 0.9%, lower than the median of its rating peers in MARC’s sovereign rating universe.

The external position remains healthy given Malaysia’s persistent current account surpluses, a manageable level of external debt and adequate international reserves. As of April 30, the central bank’s international reserves stood at USD103.4 billion, equivalent to 7.4 months of retained imports and 1.0x total short-term external debt. These attributes, together with a credible monetary policy, flexible exchange rates and a well-developed financial system, continue to help limit vulnerability to external developments.

Malaysia’s fiscal and debt management performance remain rating constraints. Under the new administration, the fiscal deficit for 2018 has been reset upwards to 3.7% of gross domestic product (GDP), compared with 2.8% in Budget 2018. As Budget 2019 assumes a crude oil price range of between USD60 and USD70 per barrel, a slide in price to below USD60 per barrel would be credit negative. Given this, together with elevated trade tensions and slowing global growth, it has become a more challenging balancing act to improve fiscal prudence.

The government’s debt risk profile remains fluid given the reliance on off-budget initiatives that include government guarantees and public-private partnerships (PPP). As of end-2018, total federal government direct debt stood at 51.8% of GDP, slightly up from the previous year. Government-guaranteed debt also rose, rising to 18.6% of GDP by the end of 2018. It is important to note that the deferment and cancellation of several large-scale transportation projects have significantly reduced the government’s outstanding PPP commitments.

Another rating constraint is high household debt. Despite its moderation to 83.0% of GDP in 2018, risks remain because household sector loans comprise a significant 57.3% of total banking system loans. While aggregate household financial assets and liquid financial assets may be 2.1x and 1.4x debt (2018), not all households can pay down debt if an economic disruption adversely affects the labour market. In any case, it is likely that the growth pace of financial assets could fall below that of debt given the difficult economic environment.

Major Rating Factors

Strengths

• Resilient economy;
• Effective monetary policy; and
• Healthy external position.

Challenges/Risks

• Persistent fiscal deficit;
• High government debt, rising contingent liability; and
• High household debt.