Ringgit Terbaik di Asia

Pagi ni bila membaca akhbar, perasaan aku menjadi seronok bila akhbar-akhbar melaporkan nilai ringgit meningkat berbanding mata wang lain serantau. Jarang berlaku fenomena sebegini...

Ringgit terbaik di Asia
Oleh Kamarulzaidi Kamis
kamarulzaidi@bharian.com.my
2010/04/12
Kuasa beli rakyat makin meningkat

KUALA LUMPUR: Nilai ringgit bukan saja mencatatkan peningkatan kukuh berbanding mata wang utama seperti dolar Amerika Syarikat (AS) dan euro, malah meningkat berbanding mata wang serantau, sekali gus menjadikannya mata wang terbaik dari segi prestasi kenaikan di Asia, sejak Januari lalu.

Kenaikan ringgit itu tidak hanya meningkatkan kuasa beli rakyat Malaysia di peringkat serantau, malah turut meningkat di Asia Barat, khususnya di Arab Saudi kerana ia lebih tinggi berbanding riyal sebelum ini. Penganalisis ekonomi berkata, kenaikan itu mencerminkan peningkatan keyakinan pelabur dan peniaga terhadap prospek kukuh ekonomi negara serta agenda perubahan ekonomi yang dicetuskan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Jumaat lalu, nilai ringgit melonjak ke paras tertinggi dalam tempoh dua tahun kepada 3.184 satu dolar AS dan 4.2747 satu euro pada Khamis, tertinggi dalam tempoh hampir tujuh tahun sejak September 2003, sebelum ditutup kukuh pada 4.2976.

Selain itu, setiap satu ringgit kini boleh ditukar kepada 1.1779 riyal berbanding 1.1068 riyal pada 4 Januari lalu. Berbanding dolar Singapura, setiap ringgit kini boleh ditukar kepada 43.66 sen Singapura, meningkat daripada 41.32 sen, iaitu paras tertinggi sejak 14 April 2008.

Ringgit juga naik 2.47 peratus berbanding rupiah Indonesia, 3.36 peratus berbanding baht Thailand, 3.58 peratus berbanding peso Filipina, 7.74 peratus berbanding dong Vietnam, 1.54 peratus berbanding rupee India, 5.91 peratus berbanding dolar Hong Kong, 3.42 peratus berbanding won Korea dan 7.17 peratus berbanding yen Jepun.

Ketua Pengarah Institut Kajian Strategik dan Antarabangsa (ISIS), Datuk Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin yang juga ahli Majlis Penasihat Ekonomi Negara (MPEN) berkata pengukuhan nilai ringgit jelas menggambarkan Malaysia semakin mendapat perhatian di kalangan pelabur dan peniaga global.

Katanya, prospek pertumbuhan ekonomi yang bertambah baik serta usaha serius kerajaan untuk melaksanakan transformasi ekonomi juga mula membuka mata pelabur.

“Jelas bahawa sentimen pelabur global terhadap Malaysia kini bertambah baik, walaupun ada pihak di negara ini yang masih kurang yakin dengan pendekatan perubahan yang dilaksana kerajaan,” katanya ketika dihubungi semalam.

Mahani juga yakin Model Ekonomi Baru (MEB) yang diumumkan Najib baru-baru ini, berupaya memberi sokongan terhadap ringgit yang akan membawa kepada lebih banyak aliran masuk pelaburan asing ke negara ini.

“Bagaimanapun, ia bergantung kepada penerimaan rakyat dan pelaksanaan langkah yang akan digariskan dalam model berkenaan,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Ketua Ahli Ekonomi Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin, berkata peluang untuk ringgit turus meningkat khususnya berbanding dolar AS masih luas kerana mata wang tempatan itu agak ketinggalan berbanding kenaikan yang dicatatkan mata wang serantau sebelum ini.

“Saya jangka ringgit berpotensi terus mengukuh kepada 3.15 berbanding berbanding dolar AS. Sebelum ini, kenaikan mata wang tempatan agak perlahan berbanding mata wang serantau dan kini pelabur mula melihat potensi ekonomi negara, Justeru, ia menyokong kenaikan ringgit,” katanya.


Business Times
03/03/2010

RINGGIT

THE ringgit was steady at close yesterday in registering its strongest 20-month level against the dollar with Asian economic growth showing positive signs, dealers said.

At 5pm, the ringgit was firmer against the dollar at 3.2560/2590 from 3.2600/2650 at close on Wednesday.

A dealer said signs of economic growth in China, Japan and South Korea added a bullish outlook to trade activities in Asia while boosting demand for regional assets.

China's manufacturing expanded at a faster pace while South Korean exports rose faster than expected.

"The appreciation of the Chinese yuan has also benefitted the ringgit," the dealer exlained.

The local currency was also upbeat ahead of the expectations for Malaysia's February export figures to be released today.

Against other major currencies, the ringgit traded mixed. It was little changed against the Singapore dollar at 2.3274/3314 from 2.3274/3333 on Wednesday and rose against the yen to 3.4842/4882 from 3.4979/5036 previously.

It fell versus the euro to 4.3940/3990 from 4.3840/3918 and eased versus the pound sterling to 4.9563/9618 from 4.9376/9461 previously.

INTERBANK RATES

SHORT-TERM rates were steady at close yesterday as Bank Negara Malaysia continued to intervene in the money market to absorb surplus funds.

The overnight rate stood at 2.24 per cent while the one-week, two-week and three-week rates were at 2.27, 2.29 and 2.30 per cent respectively.

The liquidity surplus in the conventional system was reduced to RM8.38 billion from RM28.31 billion estimated earlier while for Islamic funds, the total liquidity surplus declined to RM4.30 billion from RM7.97 billion.

Bank Negara conducted 13 tenders this morning to reduce the surplus. The central bank also conducted late tenders, comprising a conventional tender for RM9 billion of three-day money and an Al-Wadiah tender for RM4 billion of three-day money.

KLIBOR

THE three-month Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rate (KLIBOR) futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives were untraded at close yesterday.

The April 2010, May 2010, June 2010 and September 2010 contracts remained unchanged at Thursday's settlement prices of 97.54, 97.47, 97.33 and 97.12 respectively.

The benchmark three-month KLIBOR rose to 2.53 per cent from 2.52 per cent on Thursday. Similarly, there was no contract recorded for the five-year Malaysian Government Securities throughout the day. - Bernama