Economic Achievements Due To Strong Governance, Ongoing Efforts To Fight Corruption - PM

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s recent economic achievements, including the ringgit’s performance as one of the strongest currencies in Asia, are the result of governance reforms and continuous efforts to combat corruption and misappropriation of public funds.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the strengthening of the ringgit, high economic growth, low inflation rates, and an increase in foreign and domestic investment did not happen by chance but were driven by the government’s serious commitment to strengthening governance.

“It is related to the issue of governance. With good governance, those in power are prevented from robbing the nation of its wealth. 

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“Good governance stops corruption and misappropriation of funds. That is what we do, and that certainly results in economic growth,” he said while speaking at the Prime Minister’s Berbuka Puasa event with members of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education at the Seri Perdana Complex here today.

Also present were Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek, Higher Education Deputy Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim, and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

Anwar said the successes achieved were not just the result of ministers' efforts but also involved the entire government machinery, including the chief secretary and civil servants, and were supported by the private sector, higher education institutions, and academicians, who were consulted to formulate policies that could help generate robust economic growth.

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"Alhamdulillah. This really happened. We see the performance in not just the ringgit but also in high economic growth, high investments and low inflation,” he said.

The ringgit has strengthened significantly against the US dollar since early 2026, driven by positive investment sentiment and foreign capital inflows.

The ringgit was quoted at 3.8910/8960 at close on Friday. It spiralled to breach the 4.00 psychological level in January, and analysts have predicted the ringgit could hover between 3.78 and 3.80 against the greenback.

The inflation rate remained low, at around 1.3 to 1.6 per cent from the end of 2025 to the beginning of 2026, thereby helping maintain people’s purchasing power.

In terms of growth, Malaysia’s GDP grew by around 5.2 per cent in 2025, with a strong fourth-quarter performance of 6.3 per cent, reflecting robust domestic demand and continued export recovery.

-- BERNAMA