Is this the time for the Prime Minister to ‘chill’ a little and take a break?
Derrick Sim, a member of the People Power Party in Singapore, recently joked that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should relax and temporarily stop working so hard. This comes as the Malaysian Ringgit (RM) continues to strengthen against the Singapore Dollar (SGD).
A Singapore politician jokingly told Anwar to “lepak a bit”
Derrick shared a possible scenario that might take place when Singaporeans come to visit Malaysia.
“Just two weeks ago, SGD1 was RM3.18, now already RM3.15. If too strong, Singaporeans may only order Roti Canai Kosong and head back to Singapore. Many of us are still very budget-conscious.”
Derrick, however, is not telling the Prime Minister to refrain from carrying out his duties, but he’s actually suggesting otherwise. In his Facebook post, he highlighted that Anwar is by far the best Prime Minister that Malaysians have seen in a long time.
“Maybe you lepak a bit. No need to work so hard lah… Take it easy, Anwar. Slow and steady wins the race,” he joked.
“Don’t be surprised if RM continues to strengthen against the SGD”
In the comments section, Derrick also highlighted why RM can continue to strengthen against SGD, saying that just this year alone, Malaysia’s foreign direct investment has jumped a whopping 47%.
He explained that large global corporations are quietly but decisively shifting their supply chains en masse out of China, and Malaysia has emerged as a natural sweet spot.
Derrick stated, “It is not as costly as Singapore, yet more stable and institutionally reliable than Vietnam. Add to that a well-established semiconductor ecosystem, and Malaysia becomes a highly compelling destination.”
“So don’t be surprised if RM continues to strengthen against the SGD, potentially moving into the 3.0 times range, or even crossing the psychological threshold below 3 within the next 18 months,” he added.
For those who think such a shift is impossible, Derrick pointed to history:
“And for those who think such moves are impossible, history says otherwise. In the 1990s, the British Pound Sterling (GBP) traded at 3 times that of SGD, similar to SGD to RM now.”
What do you think of this?
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