Ringgit's 2016 surge likely to slow down

Singapore

MALAYSIA'S ringgit has done a stunning about-face this year, with surging capital inflows turning it into Asia's best-performing currency from the region's worst in 2015.

Still, few expect the ringgit to regain all the ground lost last year, as inflows may have peaked as Malaysian risk assets are starting to look pricey to investors and analysts.

The ringgit strengthened 10 per cent against the US dollar in January-March, its largest quarterly gain since 1973, Thomson Reuters data shows.

In 2015, the ringgit had its worst year since 1997, shedding 18.5 per cent on the back on plunging oil prices, anticipated higher US interest rates and a financial scandal at state-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)…