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BNM holds the OPR at 2.75% โ€” what it means for your loans and savings

money.com.my Editorial Teamยท7 May 2026ยท2 min readยทBased on: Bank Negara Malaysia โ€” Monetary Policy Statement

What happened. At its 7 May 2026 meeting, Bank Negara Malaysia's Monetary Policy Committee left the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) unchanged at 2.75%. It is the fourth consecutive meeting with no change, holding the rate steady since the quarter-point cut in July 2025 that brought it down from 3.00%.

What it means for your borrowing. The OPR is the anchor for floating-rate loans. Most Malaysian home loans, and almost all overdrafts and floating personal financing, are priced as a bank's Base Rate plus a spread โ€” and the Base Rate moves with the OPR. A hold means your monthly instalment does not change this round. If you are on a floating home loan, your repayment stays where it has been since the July 2025 cut. If you have been waiting for a cheaper rate to refinance or buy, this is a pause, not a signal that the next move is down.

What it means for your savings. Fixed deposit and savings rates track the OPR closely, so a hold keeps FD rates roughly where they are rather than pushing them higher. The headline FD board rates you see today are about as good as this cycle is likely to offer unless the OPR rises again. If you have idle cash, locking part of it into a fixed deposit now captures the current rate; keeping the rest liquid in a high-yield savings account keeps you flexible if rates move. Use the OPR Tracker to see the full rate path, and the FD Rate History tool to check where deposit rates sit today.

What to watch. The committee's language signals whether the next move is more likely to be a cut or a hike. For now, a steady OPR means a steady cost of borrowing and a steady return on cash โ€” plan around the rate you have, not the one you are hoping for.

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