MALAYSIA'S resilient economic growth and controlled inflation have enabled Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to maintain its benchmark interest rate at 2.75 per cent, sparing businesses from additional borrowing costs, says Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.
He said the country's economic conditions remained relatively stable compared with economies grappling with high inflation, overheating and supply chain disruptions.
“Bank Negara, through the Monetary Policy Committee, assessed that inflation in the country was under control and gross domestic product (GDP) growth remained strong.
“So, it (BNM) decided to maintain the OPR. This gives businesses room to continue growing,” he told reporters after the 2026 Financial Run event here today.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) maintained the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent at its sixth and final meeting of the year.
Amir Hamzah said some countries were facing inflationary pressures and supply chain problems that required their central banks to use interest rates to manage economic conditions.
“We do not face the kind of problems seen in other countries, where inflationary pressures are high, economies are overheating and supply chain issues are forcing them to use interest rates to bring the situation under control,” he said.
He attributed Malaysia's relatively favourable economic conditions to the Madani government's comprehensive approach to economic management.
“In Malaysia, I believe the comprehensive approach taken by the Madani government has helped us achieve better conditions,” he said.
Meanwhile, market analysts have projected a possible 25-basis-point increase in the OPR to 3.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2027, citing resilient economic growth and the central bank's higher inflation outlook.
Amir Hamzah stressed that decisions on the benchmark rate remained solely within BNM's purview through the MPC process, based on assessments of prevailing economic and inflation conditions. - November 15, 2026
