The ringgit opened unchanged at 4.4680/4750 against the US dollar today, maintaining its position as last Friday's close.
At 8am, the ringgit remained flat, in line with global sentiment which was also cautious on the US economy, particularly concerns over the government's debt limit.
The US Treasury has warned that the government's borrowing limit may be reached by mid-January, increasing uncertainty as the new administration prepares for the swearing-in ceremony on January 20.
Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd Chief Economist Dr. Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the government winding-up drama and strong statements from Donald Trump, as well as Elon Musk, indicated that the debt limit issue may be difficult to resolve.
Meanwhile, the ringgit weakened against most other major currencies except Japan, strengthening slightly against the Japanese yen to 2.8296/8343 from 2.8300/8346 at the previous close.
However, it weakened against the British pound to 5.6199/6287 from 5.5904/5991 and depreciated against the euro to 4.6601/6674 from 4.6489/6574 previously.
In the Asean region, the ringgit also showed mixed performance.
It fell against the Singapore dollar to 3.2899/2955 from 3.2846/2900 previously and weakened against the Thai baht to 13.1196/1583 from 13.1023/1289.
On the other hand, it strengthened slightly against the Indonesian rupiah at 275.1/275.7 from 275.4/276.1 and remained unchanged against the Philippine peso at 7.72/7.74.
Analysts expect the ringgit to continue trading in a narrow range towards the end of the year, with overseas economic developments being the main determining factor in its direction in the new year.
