The Malaysian ringgit opened slightly stronger against the US dollar, supported by improving domestic economic sentiment and easing trade tensions.
At 8.32 am, the local currency traded at 4.0930/1040 versus the greenback, compared with last Friday’s close of 4.0945/1005. The current level was last seen in April 2021, when the ringgit closed at 4.0960 against the US dollar.
Data released last Friday by the Statistics Department Malaysia showed the Industrial Production Index (IPI) rose 6.0 % year-on-year in October 2025, led by a 6.5 % expansion in the manufacturing sector. Economists noted that export-oriented industries within manufacturing grew 7.2 %, up from 4.8 % previously, signalling robust external demand supporting the economy.
In early trading, the ringgit also strengthened against several major currencies. It rose versus the British pound to 5.4670/4817 from 5.4789/4869, edged up against the Japanese yen to 2.6246/6318 from 2.6264/6304, and increased against the euro to 4.8007/8136 from 4.8037/8107.
Against regional currencies, the ringgit was higher versus the Singapore dollar at 3.1677/1765 from 3.1701/1750, and slightly stronger against the Indonesian rupiah at 245.8/246.6 from 245.9/246.4. However, it fell against the Thai baht to 12.9624/13.0050 from 12.9589/9845 and remained nearly flat against the Philippine peso at 6.93/6.95.
Bernama
