<\/p>\n its strongest level so far in 2025.<\/p>\n
<\/a> The currency traded above RM3.30 per Singdollar earlier in 2025. <\/p>\n
But regular visitors to Malaysia say the stronger ringgit will not stop them from travelling across the Causeway.<\/p>\n
Mr Song Seng Wun, an independent economist who goes to Johor for the food, noted that Singaporeans and residents generally still feel that the Singdollar is getting them \u201cgood value\u201d.<\/p>\n
For example, a plate of noodles costs around RM10, which is $3.15, he said.<\/p>\n
Travel is also convenient, as Mr Song can simply hop on a Causeway Link bus that takes him directly to popular spots in Johor Bahru.<\/p>\n
\u201cTap on and tap off the bus. It is so easy, much like how you tap on and off the public buses in Singapore,\u201d he said, adding that many Singaporeans even bring their shopping trolleys with them on the bus.<\/p>\n
Mr Song added that other services Singaporeans enjoy in Malaysia, such as car washes, cost RM18 per wash, which is around $5.70 at the current exchange rate, compared with a basic car wash in Singapore that costs between $10 and $35.<\/p>\n
Sales manager Arifz Rudyman, who recently went to JB on Nov 13, when the SGD\/MYR was at 3.1746, noted that \u201cthe savings are still there as long as it is hovering around RM3 against the Singdollar\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Arifz, a regular visitor to Malaysia, added that there are also other perks that make the trip across the Causeway worthwhile, even with the ringgit at stronger levels. <\/p>\n
One such perk is access to food options that are unavailable to Malay\/Muslims diners in Singapore. <\/p>\n
The original Ramly burger is from Malaysia, he said, adding that while one can eat Ramly burgers at a pasar malam (night market) here, the taste and flavour can \u201cnever beat the Ramly burger in JB\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cCertain food that are not cooked in a halal way in Singapore are cooked in a halal way in Malaysia,\u201d he said. For instance, in Malaysia, some outlets of Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung are halal-certified. <\/p>\n
The sales manager also goes for massages in JB because it is cheaper and \u201cthe quality is so much better if one chooses the right spa\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n
He pays about RM128 for a two-hour spa session. Even at current ringgit levels of RM3.17 per Singdollar, it would only cost him around $40. A comparable spa in Singapore costs about $88 an hour, he noted.<\/p>\n
Still, Mr Arifz would be more hesitant to go to JB if the ringgit appreciates to RM2 to the Singdollar.<\/p>\n
Ms Tang Guek Peng, a Malaysian admin executive who came to Singapore more than two decades ago, when the ringgit was RM1.46 against the Singdollar, noted that the ringgit has a long way to go before it hits that level again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The stronger ringgit is thus unlikely to stop her from taking her daughter to JB for weekend enrichment classes, she said. <\/p>\n
Across the Causeway, hour-long ballet lessons twice a week cost her RM210 a month, compared with similar classes that range from $300 to $600 a month in Singapore, she said. Likewise, she pays RM110 a month for her daughter\u2019s weekly one-hour piano lesson, compared with the $300 to $600 typically charged in Singapore.<\/p>\n
So while the ringgit has strengthened and her daughter\u2019s fees have inched up in Singdollar terms, this still does not change the fact that fees in Malaysia remain relatively cheaper, she noted.<\/p>\n
Still, Singaporeans with ringgit-denominated loans for Malaysian properties could face more volatile monthly repayments given the ringgit\u2019s current strength.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Alson Kong bought his corner terrace house in JB in 2012, taking a ringgit-denominated loan and paying about RM2,700 in monthly mortgage instalments. At an exchange rate of RM2.40 per Singdollar, his RM2,700 instalments cost him about $1,125. At today\u2019s rate of around RM3.17, they now work out to roughly $850 per month.<\/p>\n
But he noted that the purchase would not be a good financial investment if he were to sell today, as he would get back fewer Singdollars in return. A hypothetical gain of RM500,000, for instance, would translate to more than $208,000 at RM2.40, but only about $158,000 at RM3.17.<\/p>\n
Still, Mr Sani Hamid, a director at financial advisory platform Financial Alliance, said long holding periods mean property investors cannot easily time their entry and exit to benefit from favourable currency movements. <\/p>\n
As a result, \u201cthe vast majority of Singapore investors in Malaysian properties have typically had to suffer some level of ringgit forex losses\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
The strengthening ringgit could also see more Malaysians visiting the Republic.<\/p>\n
Mr Mohamad Farid Yaacob is one example. The 37-year-old customer service executive drives his Perodua Aruz from Kuala Lumpur\u2019s Bangsar suburb to Singapore at least once a month to shop, dine and attend weekend events.<\/p>\n
Earning around RM5,000, or $1,600, a month, he said he often finds shopping in Singapore \u201ccheaper\u201d than in Malaysia. Some imported groceries \u2013 such as chocolates, nuts and certain snacks \u2013 can be cheaper in Singapore than in Malaysia, especially when they are on discount, he added.<\/p>\n
Hawker meals in Singapore can sometimes also be cheaper than those in Kuala Lumpur, even after factoring in the currency conversion. <\/p>\n
Mr Farid has even opened a Singapore bank account, where he deposits some savings in Singdollars for his trips to the Republic. He added that Singapore\u2019s Vehicle Entry Permit charge of $35 a day is waived on Saturdays, Sundays and Singapore public holidays, which helps lower his travel costs.<\/p>\n
For Ms Suria Mohd Sidin, a Johorean who works as a brand manager for a property developer, visiting attractions such as the Singapore Zoo has become more enticing.<\/p>\n
The 38-year-old, who regularly takes public transport to the Republic to buy items such as perfumes in Mustafa Centre, a shopping complex near Little India, reckons she will be coming to Singapore more often to shop as the ringgit appreciates.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel it\u2019s so much cheaper there than in Malaysia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Suen Bohn, president of the Malaysian Association in Singapore, told The Straits Times that if the ringgit continues to hold its strength, Singapore can expect more short-term visitors from Malaysia \u2013 particularly for pre-planned events such as major international concerts, celebrity tours and the annual Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
She added that special product launches and the opening of flagship outlets of food and beverage brands also serve as strong pull factors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe buzz factor adds value to a short trip. The \u2018must-see-now\u2019, the limited-edition product launch, the world-class summit \u2013 these create a powerful pull for Malaysian visitors who don\u2019t want to miss out,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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