KUALA LUMPUR – The ringgit is the best-performing currency in Asia, trading at RM4.16 against the US dollar, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, however, lamented the lack of praise for the Madani government for the ringgit’s performance, despite earlier criticisms when the domestic currency weakened against the greenback.
“In the past, we were repeatedly criticised for the ringgit’s decline, yet now that it has strengthened, no praise is given. That is the problem. Today, the ringgit stands at RM4.16 against the US dollar and is the best-performing currency in Asia,” Bernama quoted Anwar telling the Dewan Rakyat today during the Question Time session.
He was responding to a question from Aminolhuda Hassan (PH-Sri Gading) on how the government measures the effectiveness of the Madani Economic Policy after 18 to 24 months, and on ongoing and planned measures to ensure the policy meets its objectives.
The premier noted that the currency’s valuation was determined by the market, and not the government, following positive sovereign credit ratings from international agencies S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s.
At 6 pm yesterday, the ringgit rose 0.4 per cent to 4.1555/1635 against the US dollar, up from 4.1735/1775 at Friday’s close. This is the local currency’s highest level in 13 months, after it previously reached 4.1625 on 2 October 2024.
As of 8.01 am today, the ringgit strengthened further to 4.1540/1660 against the US dollar, from 4.1555/1635 at yesterday’s close.
During his answer, Anwar also stressed that Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) for this year could rise further from the 4.4 per cent growth recorded in the first half of this year, underpinned by robust economic performance.
“Third-quarter GDP in 2025 is expected to reach 5.2 per cent, and full-year growth could surpass earlier projections,” he said.
Anwar added that trade trends remained positive, with total trade from January to September rising 4.4 per cent to around RM2.24 trillion.
“This was achieved amid an uncertain global economy, particularly due to tariffs imposed by former US President Donald Trump, yet trade still increased to approximately RM2.24 trillion.”
He noted that Malaysia is now ranked 23rd in the 2025 Global Competitiveness Index – marking its best performance since 2020 – November 11, 2025