THE ringgit opened marginally stronger against the US dollar on Wednesday, buoyed by growing investor unease over the prolonged US government shutdown and lingering uncertainty surrounding an anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
As at 8.02am, the local currency stood at 4.2235/2345 against the greenback, up from Tuesday’s close of 4.2280/2315.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the US shutdown had now stretched into its third week, exacerbating concerns over Washington’s political stalemate and its potential knock-on effects for the global economy.
“The latest indication from Trump on his meeting with Xi next week remains uncertain, suggesting the trade tension is likely to be persistent,” he told Bernama. “The lack of US data due to the government shutdown has resulted in a greater degree of economic uncertainties.”
Afzanizam said the ringgit was likely to trade cautiously throughout the day, with the dollar-ringgit pair expected to fluctuate between RM4.22 and RM4.23.
The ringgit also gained ground against several major currencies at the opening.
It strengthened against the British pound to 5.6447/6594 from 5.6592/6639, rose against the euro to 4.8993/9120 from 4.9134/9174, and appreciated against the Japanese yen to 2.7817/7892 from 2.7851/7875.
Among regional peers, the ringgit improved against the Singapore dollar to 3.2523/2613 from 3.2598/2628, and climbed against the Thai baht to 12.8413/8806 from 12.9048/9218. It was also marginally higher against the Indonesian rupiah at 254.6/255.4 from 254.8/255.2 and edged up against the Philippine peso to 7.25/7.27 from 7.26/7.27. - October 22, 2025
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