The ability of the banks in the country to lend remains undiminished but that does not mean they will discard prudent lending practices, said The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM).

ABM chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Hamidy Abdul Hafiz said prudential lending practices needed to be adhered to in order to maintain public and investor confidence in the Malaysian banking system.

“Key drivers remain unchanged. Banks will always support viable customers with good track records even in the worst of times as this is the hallmark of good banking practices and customer relationship. Furthermore, there is ample liquidity in the system and the banks’ ability to lend remains undiminished,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Abdul Hamidy said while it was true that the immediate outlook for global financial markets appeared challenging, commercial banks operating in Malaysia were healthy, resilient and bullish about lending.