PPP chairman tells Malaysia PM Anwar not to work too hard
The chairman of the People’s Power Party (PPP), Derrick Sim, jokingly advised Malaysia’s Prime Minister (PM) Anwar Ibrahim not to work too hard in a Facebook post on 4 Jan.
Mr Sim ran as a candidate for Tampines GRC during the 2025 General Election.
He made the jest because the Malaysian ringgit is strengthening against the Singapore dollar.
Value of Singapore dollar went down to RM3.15
In his post, Mr Sim said Anwar is “genuinely one of the BEST Prime Ministers Malaysia has seen in a long, long time”, in his opinion.
However, the PPP chairperson said he has “one very small request”:
Maybe you lepak a bit. No need to work so hard lah.
Mr Sim said this is because S$1 was equivalent to RM3.18 two weeks prior. However, on 2 Jan, the conversion rate for S$1 had gone down to RM3.15.
Source: Derrick Sim on Facebook
“If too strong, later Singaporeans come in — only order roti canai kosong and go back liao. Many of us are still very budget-conscious,” he jested.
He added: “Take it easy, PM. Slow and steady wins the race.”
PPP chairman says ringgit may continue to strengthen
Mr Sim later added in the comments that Malaysia’s foreign direct investment has jumped 47% this year alone, with billions pouring into the country.
He said this is due to global corporations shifting their supply chains from China to Malaysia, which is more cost-effective than Singapore yet more stable than Vietnam.
Mr Sim clarified that this does not guarantee that Malaysia will flourish, “but the probability is very high”. He added that he feels the Malaysian government is “making the right moves” so far.
Source: Anwar Ibrahim on Facebook
As such, he said people shouldn’t be surprised if the ringgit continues to strengthen and the conversion rate goes below RM3 within the next 18 months.
Meanwhile, as the ringgit strengthens, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is easing monetary policy, further devaluing the Singapore dollar, Mr Sim said.
He added that the further strengthening of the ringgit is not impossible, as in the 1990s, the British pound was three times the value of the Singapore dollar. Currently, the conversion rate is below S$2.
Also read: Stronger ringgit keeps S’poreans away from JB, businesses see worst year-end crowd since Covid-19
Stronger ringgit keeps S’poreans away from JB, businesses see worst year-end crowd since Covid-19
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from People’s Power Party – PPP on Facebook, Anwar Ibrahim on Facebook.
