KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara has launched RENTAS+, an enhanced version of Malaysia’s real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system, RENTAS.
In a statement, the central bank said RENTAS+ was built in-house using modern cloud technology and enables continuous interbank fund transfers and settlements around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year. It is the first RTGS system in Asean to offer such capability.
The expanded RENTAS settlement window enables financial institutions to better manage risks from the surge in retail instant payments. Since 2024, daily retail payment transaction volumes and values have risen by 49% and 22%, respectively.
Bank Negara has also introduced a 24/7 automatic liquidity facility using repurchase agreements (repo) and sell and buy-back agreements (SBBA) to support round-the-clock settlement.
“The launch of RENTAS+ marks a significant milestone in the multi-year modernisation plan for RENTAS. RENTAS+ strengthens the resilience of Malaysia’s financial market infrastructure, while providing a secure, scalable, and flexible settlement platform for future innovations. It also highlights Bank Negara’s commitment to positioning RENTAS as a catalyst and enabler for innovation in financial markets,” Governor Datuk Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said.
RENTAS, or the Real Time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities, is Malaysia’s RTGS system launched in 1999.
In 2024, RENTAS settled transactions totalling RM73.63 trillion, equivalent to 45 times Malaysia’s GDP. It is the world’s largest sukuk depository, holding US$300bil worth of sukuk in custody, and ranks among Asia’s five largest bond depositories.
