
BNM pledges to ensure ringgit ‘doesn't run too far'
Bank Negara Malaysia's measures to encourage flows, along with narrowing US-Malaysia rate gaps, have helped buoy the ringgit.
KUALA LUMPUR : Bank Negara Malaysia will be on guard to rein in any volatility in the ringgit even as market uncertainty remains high, according to a central bank official.
The central bank will ensure markets are properly functioning and the exchange rate 'doesn't run too far,' deputy governor Adnan Zaylani Zahid said at an event in Kuala Lumpur today.
'We are not out of the woods yet,' given the high level of uncertainty in the markets with geopolitics adding to anxiety,' he added.
The ringgit is trading near its strongest level since October and is the top performer among emerging Southeast Asian currencies this quarter.
Coordinated measures by the government and central bank to encourage flows, along with narrowing interest rate differentials between Malaysia and the US, have helped buoy the ringgit.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Want to file for divorce in China? Booking agents are now your ticket to a quick split
Job insecurity and youth unemployment strain family finances Financial stress drives up divorce rates in China Divorce rates higher in poorer regions, lower in affluent areas Demographers warn more divorces mean fewer child births SINGAPORE, June 17 — Chinese medical office worker Qin Meng has found a lucrative side-hustle: she wakes up before midnight, fills in her clients' divorce certificate applications on a government website, then hits the confirm button exactly at the top of the hour. Miss it by seconds and the daily slots are 'gone in the blink of an eye,' says the 30-year-old, who charges 400 yuan (RM236.40) for her service, bringing relief to couples who have sometimes spent six months trying for a slot. Demographers say the emergence of impromptu agents like Qin, who advertise on Chinese social media, is another sign of how the slowing economy is piling financial stress on married couples and contributing to the breakdown of relationships. The 2024 divorce rate has yet to be announced by the National Bureau of Statistics, but Yi Fuxian, a Chinese demographer and senior scientist at University of Wisconsin-Madison, expects it to hit 2.6 per 1,000 people, against a low of 2.0 during the Covid-19 pandemic. This compares with the most recent rates of 1.5 in Japan and 1.8 in South Korea. 'Poverty destroys marriage,' said Yi, warning divorce numbers were inversely correlated with birth rates and could worsen the country's demographic crisis. 'China's economic downturn in recent years and the rising youth unemployment rate have reduced the economic capacity of families, exacerbated family conflicts, and thereby increased the divorce rate.' While the economy is expanding at about 5 per cent a year, Chinese households have been saving more because of concerns about job security and the impact of a prolonged property crisis. Much of the economic growth has relied on export competitiveness, but Chinese firms, hit by US tariffs, have cut jobs or lowered pay to reduce costs, while millions of fresh university graduates are struggling to find work. The rising financial pressure was thrust into the spotlight last year after a driver rammed his car into a crowd killing 35 people in what was the country's deadliest attack in recent history. The court found that at the time of his offence, the driver was angry with his divorce settlement. He was sentenced to death. Soon after, the bi-monthly Communist Party magazine Qiushi re-published a 2016 speech by President Xi Jinping that argued 'harmonious families lead to a stable society'. Financial strain In a further sign that the rebound in divorces is driven by financial strain, demographers point at data showing lower divorce rates in affluent coastal areas and higher ones in poorer inner and northern regions. Zhou Minghui booked her divorce appointment herself on the fifth attempt, after weeks of worry that her ex-husband might change his mind about their separation. Zhou said her motivation for divorce was what she described as her ex's 'reckless financial investments'. He had lost nearly 4 million yuan in the stock market in the space of three years, forcing the couple to sell their home, she said. Even then they were only able to repay just over half of the debt he had taken to buy the shares. 'When the economy is in a downturn, people shouldn't be so eager to invest or consume,' said 38-year-old Zhou, who works in the education industry in the southern city of Shenzhen. The Covid-era drop in divorce appears increasingly like an anomaly. Demographers say it was the result not only of the shutdown of non-essential public services, but also by the 2021 introduction of a 30-day mandatory cool-off period for couples seeking amicable divorce outside the courts. Couples need to get on the Civil Affairs Department's website twice – before and after that month-long breather – to book appointments to register their divorce. But the demand now far exceeds the available daily slots. The agents, people like Qin, have figured this out and advertise their services for anything from 50 yuan to 999 yuan. Qin has earned 5,000 yuan, nearly half her monthly salary from her day job, since she started the side gig 'for fun' in March. She receives multiple daily enquiries and expects to earn much more. 'The economy is not great, so there's more pressure at work and more conflicts in marriage,' Qin said. 'Divorce rates will keep rising.' — Reuters


The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
BNM plans to make Financial Education Network Proaktif mandatory for youth
KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) plans to make its money literacy programme, called Financial Education Network (FEN) Proaktif, mandatory for the youth. BNM deputy governor, Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid, said the central bank is looking forward to working with various agencies in encouraging the youth to enrol in this programme. '(We are planning) to make it mandatory or give them credit to undertake this FEN Proaktif financial education programme so that the youth are equipped by the time they graduate or they enter the workforce. 'This is to make sure they have sufficient financial literacy, knowledge and skills to face these financial decisions at any moment,' he said. Adnan Zaylani said this during a panel session on the topic, 'Securing Youth Financial Future: Enhancing Financial Capability', at the Sasana Symposium 2025, hosted by BNM today. He noted that BNM is currently awaiting responses from the respective ministries regarding its planning and added that: 'We will see if the ministries will be reset before that suggestion'. The panel session was also attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports (KBS), Hannah Yeoh, who also addressed alarming data on the number of youth involved with bankruptcy in Malaysia. In 2024, 877 cases of youth declaring bankruptcy were recorded, compared to 727 in 2023, showing an increase of 150 cases within a year. 'If you look at the youth population, 9 million, this is a small number, but the trend is a bit scary? It is so easy to buy things and then put them on an instalment plan and then pay later, but when you start accumulating credit card debt, you pay interest, spending money that you do not have,' said Yeoh. Thus, she said amid the growing trend, the MADANI government has amended the Bankruptcy Act, allowing bankrupt persons below 40 who have small debts to be discharged to give them a second chance.


The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
BNM plans to make Financial Education Network Proaktif mandatory
KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) plans to make its money literacy programme, called Financial Education Network (FEN) Proaktif, mandatory for the youth. BNM deputy governor, Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid, said the central bank is looking forward to working with various agencies in encouraging the youth to enrol in this programme. '(We are planning) to make it mandatory or give them credit to undertake this FEN Proaktif financial education programme so that the youth are equipped by the time they graduate or they enter the workforce. 'This is to make sure they have sufficient financial literacy, knowledge and skills to face these financial decisions at any moment,' he said. Adnan Zaylani said this during a panel session on the topic, 'Securing Youth Financial Future: Enhancing Financial Capability', at the Sasana Symposium 2025, hosted by BNM today. He noted that BNM is currently awaiting responses from the respective ministries regarding its planning and added that: 'We will see if the ministries will be reset before that suggestion'. The panel session was also attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports (KBS), Hannah Yeoh, who also addressed alarming data on the number of youth involved with bankruptcy in Malaysia. In 2024, 877 cases of youth declaring bankruptcy were recorded, compared to 727 in 2023, showing an increase of 150 cases within a year. 'If you look at the youth population, 9 million, this is a small number, but the trend is a bit scary? It is so easy to buy things and then put them on an instalment plan and then pay later, but when you start accumulating credit card debt, you pay interest, spending money that you do not have,' said Yeoh. Thus, she said amid the growing trend, the MADANI government has amended the Bankruptcy Act, allowing bankrupt persons below 40 who have small debts to be discharged to give them a second chance.