{
  "id": 13836837,
  "title": "Ringgit opens higher vs US dollar on fiscal discipline pledge",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/ringgit-opens-higher-vs-us-dollar-on-fiscal-discipline-pledge-13836837",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-12T00:31:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/10/12/ringgit-opens-higher-vs-us-dollar-on-fiscal-discipline-pledge"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian ringgit opened higher against the US dollar on Monday, bolstered by the government's pledge to maintain fiscal discipline following the unveiling of Budget 2027 last Friday. At 8am, the ringgit climbed to 4.0820/4.0880 against the greenback, up from its closing rate of 4.0830/4.0875 on Friday. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Rashid noted that the government's commitment to fiscal prudence is evident in its aim to reduce the fiscal deficit to 3.3% of gross domestic product in 2027, down from an estimated 3.6% this year. Rashid believes this pragmatic approach will safeguard Malaysia's sovereign credit rating, offering a strong foundation for the ringgit. However, he cautioned that external factors, particularly developments in the Middle East, could affect global crude oil prices and thus pose uncertainties. The ringgit's performance against a basket of currencies is expected to remain within a narrow range today, he said, as traders keep an eye on potential interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve this month.",
  "summary": "The local note edged up to 4.0820/4.0880 against the greenback following the tabling of Budget 2027 last Friday.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Ringgit opens higher vs US dollar on fiscal discipline pledge",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/ringgit-opens-higher-vs-us-dollar-on-fiscal-discipline-pledge-13842555",
        "published": "2026-10-12T00:31:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Ringgit opens higher vs US dollar on fiscal discipline pledge",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/ringgit-opens-higher-vs-us-dollar-on-fiscal-discipline-pledge",
        "published": "2026-10-12T00:46:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Ringgit opens higher as Budget’s fiscal discipline boosts sentiment",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/ringgit-opens-higher-as-budgets-fiscal-discipline-boosts-sentiment",
        "published": "2026-10-12T01:13:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}