He noted that the country’s trade balance increased by 9.2% to RM151.8 billion in 2025, marking a surplus for 28 consecutive years since 1998.

“The ringgit’s appreciation reflects strong economic fundamentals, including resilient export performance, a continuous trade surplus, and sustained external demand for Malaysia’s goods and services,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today.

“Malaysia’s trade balance remained strong even when the ringgit was pegged at RM3.80 against the US dollar from 1998 to 2005,” he added.

Shahar was responding to Senator Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, who asked about the impact of the ringgit’s strengthening on the country’s trade balance and export competitiveness.

Shahar said the government placed an emphasis on strategic economic measures to ensure a sustainable trade surplus.

He said the government was committed to enhancing economic diversification and transitioning towards a value-creation-based economy, focusing on investment in high-growth, high-value industries and high-impact sectors.

The government will also strengthen Malaysia’s international engagement to attract investors in strategic sectors and deepen cooperation with existing trading partners and regional economies, he said.

These measures are expected to support efforts to maintain trade surplus and achieve an annual export growth of 5.8% under the 13th Malaysia Plan.

Shahar also noted that the ringgit strengthened by 14.8% against the US dollar from Jan 2 last year (RM4.4785) to Feb 20 this year (RM3.9015).