KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — The ringgit closed higher against a basket of major currencies on Monday, supported by Malaysia’s latest economic data, although it slipped versus the US dollar.
At 6pm, the ringgit dropped to 4.0805/0845 against the greenback from last Friday’s close of 4.0795/0835.
Earlier today, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported that Malaysia’s inflation eased to 1.8 per cent in September 2026 from 1.9 per cent in the previous month, while total trade surged 53.7 per cent to RM396.5 billion from RM258.1 billion a year earlier.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the ringgit remained resilient in the face of external challenges, especially after global index provider MSCI said it was considering downgrading Indonesia’s stock market from “emerging market” to “standalone market.”
