Middle East Tensions Rattle Markets; Malaysia’s Strong Fundamentals Offer Buffer, Says Economist

By Rosemarie Khoo Mohd Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 (Bernama) -- The Middle East conflict, particularly disruptions along the Strait of Hormuz, has triggered heightened volatility in global markets, with investors shifting towards safe-haven assets amid concerns over energy supply security.

Transport, Food Prices To Face Early Impact From Middle East Conflict -- Economists

PUTRAJAYA, March 4 (Bernama) -- Transport and food prices are expected to face the earliest and most visible pressure from the escalating geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, with economists warning that a gradual rise in living costs, as higher oil, logistics, and agricultural input costs filter through the economy.

Malaysia’s LNG Edge To Lift Economy On Gas Surge -- CIMB

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s substantial Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports uniquely position the country to benefit from rising gas prices, with a US$5 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) increase estimated to add 1.23 per cent of gross domestic product to the current account.

CIMB Treasury And Markets Research Expects BNM To Hold OPR At 2.75 Pct At March 5 MPC Meeting

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- CIMB Treasury and Markets Research expects Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to maintain the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent at the next Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on March 5, amid renewed uncertainty over the United States tariff rates.

Bursa Malaysia Extends Upward Momentum To Close Higher

By Danni Haizal Danial Donald

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia continued its upward trend, closing higher on Thursday due to positive market sentiment driven by stronger-than-expected macroeconomic data.

Malaysia's Inflation Up 1.6 Pct In January 2026 - DOSM

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s inflation increased 1.6 per cent in January 2026 with the index points rising to 135.7 from 133.6 in the same month last year, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Headline, Core Inflation Averaged At 1.4 Pct, 2 Pct In 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s headline and core inflation in 2025 averaged at 1.4 per cent and two per cent, respectively, compared with 1.8 per cent in 2024, said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

Bank Negara Maintains OPR At 2.75 Pct

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent during its meeting today.

Ringgit Likely To Appreciate To 3.94 Against US Dollar By End-2026 - AmBank

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- AmBank anticipates that the ringgit will trade within a range in the first half of 2026, before approaching the 3.94 level against the US dollar in the latter half of the year, supported by Malaysia’s positive economic outlook.

Subdued Inflation Likely To Keep BNM’s OPR At 2.75 Pct In 2026 -- HLIB

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is expected to maintain the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent throughout 2026, supported by subdued inflation in 2025 and steady economic growth.

IMF Raises Malaysia’s Real GDP Growth Forecast To 4.3 Pct for 2026, 2027

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its projection for Malaysia's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 4.3 per cent for both 2026 and 2027, representing an upward revision of 0.3 percentage points.

Malaysian Economy To Stay Resilient In 2026 On FDI, Robust Infrastructure Investment -- HSBC

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's economy is expected to remain resilient this year, driven by the ongoing foreign direct investment (FDI) and robust infrastructure investment, said HSBC chief Asia economist Frederic Neumann.