Malaysia rate bets fuel ringgit gains as sceptics point to polls
PM Najib may be reluctant to have the nation's first rate hike since 2014 occur before a poll
Kuala Lumpur
INVESTORS taking a bet on the Malaysian ringgit need to first guess when Prime Minister Najib Razak will call a general election.
For bulls, Bank Negara Malaysia's hawkish tilt this month and higher crude prices for the net energy-exporting nation are reasons to be optimistic. Others, including National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB), say that the election may complicate the timing for a rate hike, damping a key driver for the ringgit.
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