“There is some possibility of that, so we are factoring in some US dollar strength further down the line,” he said. Based on recent US labour market figures, there is a possibility of a pause before the two expected rate cuts are delivered. “The ringgit remains among Asia’s better-positioned currencies in 1H26. “In terms of the outlook for consumer spending, income growth remains the key driver. The slower growth in China will to some extent affect Asean’s growth, although the region’s growth remains fairly resilient at well over 4%,” he said.

Source: The Star January 16, 2026 08:05 UTC