KUALA LUMPUR, 14 January 2026 — The Malaysian ringgit opened weaker against the US dollar on Wednesday morning, even as it strengthened against several other major global currencies, reflecting mixed investor sentiment driven by macroeconomic data and ongoing geopolitical headwinds.
In early forex trading, the ringgit eased to around RM4.0600/0680 against the US dollar, a slight downturn from Tuesday’s close of RM4.0555/0600, as market participants reacted to continued strength in the greenback and heightened risk aversion across global markets.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd’s chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid noted that the US dollar index (DXY) climbed near 99.15 points, supported by demand for safe-haven assets amid geopolitical tensions, which tends to put pressure on emerging-market currencies like the ringgit. He also pointed to recent US inflation figures, with the headline rate holding at 2.7 per cent and core inflation remaining elevated, signaling that the Federal Reserve may hold steady on its monetary policy in the short term.
Despite the weaker start against the US dollar, the ringgit advanced against several other major currencies at the opening:
- It strengthened against the Japanese yen.
- The ringgit gained versus the euro.
- It also edged higher against the British pound.
Performance against regional peers was mixed: the ringgit traded higher against the Singapore dollar and Thai baht, while it fell slightly versus the Indonesian rupiah and Philippine peso. Analysts said this reflects localized economic trends and capital flows in addition to broader risk sentiment in the foreign exchange market.
Looking ahead, traders are keeping a close eye on upcoming US economic data releases and potential central bank cues, which could influence the outlook for the US dollar and emerging-market currencies, including the ringgit, in the weeks ahead.
