KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit is still among the top performing currencies in the region, supported by strong economic indicators.
Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said year-to-date, the local unit remained positive against the benchmark US dollar.
“More importantly for the ringgit, it is not just the performance against the dollar, but how it is positioned against other currencies around the world and I think we are much better,” he said during a dialogue session held in conjunction with the Invest Malaysia 2026 conference here yesterday.
“We have reached the highest levels of approved investments coming in. The foreign direct investment (FDI) engine is working very well and providing support for the ringgit.
“Domestic direct investment is slightly bigger than FDI, and as long as we have these engines running along the way, the underlying economy still provides the demand support for the ringgit,” the minister said.
“So, I feel that the foundation for the strength of the ringgit is still there,” he said, adding that there will likely still be volatility for the local unit amid changes in external environment factors such as global interest rates and inflation.
“But the more important thing is to make sure that the fundamentals of the economy still work in the right form, which is what we are doing at this point in time,” Amir Hamzah said.
The ringgit appreciated to 4.0665/4.0780 against the greenback at yesterday’s opening, up from the day before’s close of 4.0715/4.0760.
For January to March 2026, Malaysia attracted RM92.8bil in approved investments across the services (RM60.8bil or 65.5%), manufacturing (RM24.1bil or 26%) and primary (RM7.9bil or 8.5%) sectors.
According to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Japan emerged as the largest foreign investor with a 13.8 times surge, while Selangor led as the top recipient of approved investments.
Replying to a question on the issue of the country’s fuel supply, which reportedly is sufficient until the end of July, Amir Hamzah said the government has prioritised the issue of supply.
“Because no (energy) supply means game over – and since we have seen the issues in the Middle East, have we seen issues with supply? We have not, and part of the reason is we have been blessed, as we are a net energy exporter.
“Securing supply is the greatest support and you will see that rolling supply basis continues forward.
“We have been able to make sure that that has not been interrupted.
“The reality is, we got lucky because we did our reforms three years ago.”
Invest Malaysia is jointly organised by Bursa Malaysia in collaboration with CIMB Group Holdings Bhd
and Malayan Banking Bhd.
On another note, Bursa Malaysia and the Securities Commission yesterday launched the MY Value Up programme guidebook to help public listed companies create medium- to long-term value and transform them into globally attractive investment propositions.
The MY Value Up programme aims to encourage public listed companies to develop and communicate clear growth strategies, targets and capital allocation priorities.
