{"id":70139,"date":"2026-05-08T11:47:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/?p=70139"},"modified":"2026-05-08T11:47:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:47:47","slug":"ringgit-update-foreign-currency-spending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/ringgit-update-foreign-currency-spending","title":{"rendered":"Ringgit Up Against The Pound, Euro And Yen But Down Against The Dollar. Here’s What That Means For You"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ringgit opened firmer against most major currencies on Friday morning, even as it slipped slightly against the US dollar. The catch? Renewed tensions in the US-Iran conflict have dimmed hopes for a peace deal, keeping investors cautious.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to The Star and Bernama, At 8am today, the local currency traded at 3.9100\/9200 against the greenback, compared with Thursday’s close of 3.9070\/9115. The US Dollar Index, meanwhile, has been hovering flat at around 98 points as markets wait for the latest US jobs data.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s the kind of update that sounds dry on paper. But the ringgit’s quiet strength elsewhere is genuinely useful news for Malaysians spending money abroad, or buying things online from overseas merchants.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>A small but meaningful win<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

According to Bank Muamalat Malaysia chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid, the ringgit closed 0.42% higher against the US dollar yesterday at RM3.9093, after Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) decided to keep the overnight policy rate (OPR) unchanged at 2.75%.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, BNM is essentially saying it has confidence in Malaysia’s economic fundamentals, and that vote of confidence tends to be ringgit-positive. Mohd Afzanizam expects the ringgit to hover around RM3.90 against the greenback today.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bigger gains are against the European and ASEAN currencies. The ringgit strengthened against the <\/span>euro<\/b> (4.5872\/5989, from 4.5978\/6031), the <\/span>British pound<\/b> (5.3004\/3140, from 5.3202\/3263) and the <\/span>Japanese yen<\/b> (2.4925\/4990, from 2.4982\/5013). It also rose against the <\/span>Singapore dollar<\/b> (3.0807\/0890, from 3.0861\/0901) and the <\/span>Thai baht<\/b> (12.1098\/1479, from 12.1486\/1687), while staying largely flat against the Indonesian rupiah and Philippine peso.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>What this means for your wallet<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

For ordinary Malaysians, the headline takeaway is straightforward. It’s a slightly better day to spend in foreign currency than yesterday.<\/span><\/p>\n

That includes:<\/span><\/p>\n