BNM VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE BROADCAST LIVE ON BERNAMA TV

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 -- For the first time ever, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has given a virtual press conference in conjunction with the release of its Annual Report 2019 due to the on-going movement control order (MCO) imposed by the government to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The press conference was exclusively broadcast in real-time by the national news agency BERNAMA via its social media platform as well as television channel Astro 502.

While giving assurance on the country’s economy and its ability to weather these challenges, BNM governor Datuk Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus also advised Malaysians to adhere to the MCO.

“These are extraordinary times in Malaysia and in fact the world. All of us at the very basic level are either a mother, a parent, a child, a sibling or spouse and all of us are worried about the impact of this virus on the health of our family,” she said in the 45-minute briefing and press conference.

“So, the faster we can flatten the COVID-19 curve, the faster we can speed up the economic recovery, and the faster we can revert to our normal life. So, each and every one of us can do our bit. Please observe the MCO and please stay home,” said the governor.

Malaysia, she said, can emerge stronger from the pandemic.

BNM released three reports -- the Annual Report 2019, Economic and Monetary Review 2019 and the Financial Stability Review for Second Half 2019.

Unlike before, the three reports aim at facilitating greater understanding among the key stakeholders by varying the degree of technicality of these publications.

The Annual Report 2019 details the workings of the Bank in 2019, and is written for a general audience to inform readers about the mandate and the various functions of the Bank. The Economic and Monetary Review is a more technical publication and focuses on the Bank’s economic assessments and forecasts.

The biannual Financial Stability Review is also a technical publication, detailing the Bank’s analysis of risk assessment and outlook with regards to financial stability. 

-- BERNAMA