The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar on Thursday, supported by continued buying interest in the local currency amid the first US government shutdown in almost seven years.
At 10.15am, the ringgit was at 4.2050 against the US dollar, unchanged since it opened early in Asian trading on Thursday.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the shutdown had disrupted US government services, including the release of the latest statistical data.
The main question is how quickly the impasse between Republicans and Democrats over spending and concessions programmes can be resolved.
The conflict is set to send a negative signal to the dollar and the ringgit is expected to attempt to break the psychological level of RM4.20 today.
In early trade, the ringgit also rose against a basket of major currencies.
It rose to 4.9279/9396 against the euro from 4.9327/9386 at Wednesday's close, rose to 5.6603/6738 against the British pound from 5.6605/6672, and strengthened to 2.8542/8612 against the Japanese yen from 2.8561/8597.
The local note rose against regional currencies as well, rising to 3.2611/2694 against the Singapore dollar from 3.2623/2665, and to 12.9478/9870 against the Thai baht from 12.9929/13.0128.
It also rose against the Philippine peso to 7.22/7.24 from 7.23/7.24 and rose against the Indonesian rupiah to 252.4/253.2 from 252.7/253.1.
