Fearing the worst for Malaysian banks?

I just wrote this article not too long ago: Important signs for the market; Banks’ results Banks are extremely important because they allow to see way in advance if the market is in trouble. Here’s a THREAT to Malaysian banks. Article in TheStar here. Moody’s Investors Service has announced that property loans are the greatest threat for Malaysian banks. This is despite Bank Negara Malaysia’s latest stress test finding in September which showed that the Malaysian financial sector would remain resilient under severe macroeconomic and financial status.  

Moody’s report has also questioned the relevance of Housing and Local Government Ministry’s plan to ease home financing requirements. According to Starbiz, property experts have warned that loosening the lending requirements may backfire.  Moody’s said that for Malaysia, the residential segment accounts for over 30% of the domestic banking industry’s gross loans. Malaysia is not alone. Moody’s also named Australia, New Zealand and South Korea as the top countries in the Asia-Pacific region where property loans pose the greatest threat for domestic banks.

The report also highlighted Malaysia’s residential property prices over the last eight years. In terms of price growth, Malaysia’s ranked fourth, just below Hong Kong, India and the Philippines. Fortunately for us, the property prices have been cooling down in the first 6 months of this year. According to Moody’s vice-president and senior credit officer Eugene Tarzimanov, the banks’ creditworthiness will likely stay broadly stable next year due to the still-healthy economic fundamentals and good credit buffers. VERY IMPORTANT:  The ratings agency remained positive that the banks in the region would have sufficient buffers against growing risks. Article in TheStar here. 

Okay, actually the title and the article does not really match one another. After reading the whole article, I am glad that I am still right; Malaysian banks are certainly not in trouble and their current results show that. By the way, we must understand what Moody’s are saying and apply it back to ourselves too. Remember, it’s extremely important to have sufficient buffer (savings) just in case we suffer from any sudden shock (losing our job) etc. If you need a home, find one and buy. If you do not need a home, evaluate a good one and buy as investment. If you have NO money left every month, DO NOT buy any property even if somehow you qualify for some schemes…

written on 7 Dec 2018

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