Ringgit’s rise due to sound policies, says Anwar

KOTA KINABALU: The ringgit’s strongest performance in 14 years is due to Malaysia’s sound policies, as well as her strong diplomatic and economic ties with other nations, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“It is not about me; it’s not about Anwar. It is about the strength, unity and policies of our government,” the Prime Minister said on the ringgit’s latest performance.

The ringgit rose 1.6% against the US dollar on Friday, gaining for the 10th straight day, its best since 2010.

The local note closed at RM4.49 against the greenback.

The Prime Minister said the achievement reflected not only the government’s dedication and commitment but also the effort and hard work of the people.

Addressing the Sabah PKR Convention, Anwar refuted claims that Sabah only received RM6.6bil from the Federal Government, when in fact, RM16bil was allocated for the state’s expenditures covering security, schools and development.

He also disclosed that Putrajaya collected “quite a lot from Sabah”, adding that the collection was RM10.2bil in revenue last year.

Addressing the backlash over federal allocations to Sabah, Anwar said the significant funding was not due to pressure from the state leadership but rather a testament to his commitment to equitable governance.

Anwar said fulfilling the rights of Sabahans as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) was the right thing to do, adding that the current government had made more progress within a year compared to the previous administrations.