Data methodology
Every rate, price and index on money.com.my comes from an official Malaysian source, never an estimate or a third-party aggregator. This page shows exactly which dataset each figure comes from, how current it is, and how our tools calculate the numbers they show you.
Where every number comes from
Our five data tools each republish an official government series. The table lists the source, the exact dataset we pull, how far back it goes, and how often it refreshes.
| Figure | Official source | How we fetch it | Coverage | Refresh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange rates (MYR against 27 currencies) | Bank Negara Malaysia | BNM Open API — official daily rates (buying, middle, selling) | Current trading day | Every business day, about 5:00pm MYT |
| Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) | Bank Negara Malaysia | Monetary Policy Committee decisions | Every decision since 2020 | Each MPC meeting (about six a year) |
| Fixed deposit rates | Department of Statistics Malaysia | data.gov.my “interestrates” catalogue | Monthly, 1997 to present | Monthly |
| Consumer Price Index (CPI) and inflation | Department of Statistics Malaysia | data.gov.my “cpi_headline” catalogue | Monthly, 2000 to present | Monthly |
| Retail fuel prices (RON95, RON97, diesel) | Department of Statistics Malaysia | data.gov.my “fuelprice” catalogue | Weekly, 2017 to present | Weekly (Thursday) |
These five series are also published as machine-readable schema.org Dataset records on each tool page, so search engines and AI assistants can cite the figure with attribution to money.com.my and the originating body.
Our written guides also draw on KWSP (EPF) circulars and LHDN (Inland Revenue Board) guidelines, and on each bank's own published product disclosures.
How our tools calculate
Where a tool derives a figure rather than just displaying an official number, here is the exact method. We show the working so you can check it, and we are explicit about every assumption.
Value of the ringgit and inflation
To compare a ringgit amount across two years, we multiply it by the ratio of the two years' CPI: the value in the later year equals the amount times (CPI of the later year divided by CPI of the earlier year). Cumulative inflation over the period is (CPI later minus CPI earlier) divided by CPI earlier. We use each year's January index as the reference point, and the headline CPI from DOSM, which is not seasonally adjusted.
What an OPR change costs your loan
The repayment figures use the standard loan amortisation formula over a 30-year term. Because your actual rate depends on your bank's Base Rate and spread, we illustrate with a typical variable home loan priced at roughly the OPR plus 2.4%. These figures show the direction and rough size of a rate change on a monthly repayment. They are an illustration, not a quote for your specific loan.
Currency conversion
We convert using Bank Negara Malaysia's official daily rate. The buying rate is what a bank buys foreign currency from you at; the selling rate is what it sells to you at; the middle rate is the midpoint. We show all three so you can see the spread, rather than a single blended number.
Monthly fuel cost
Your estimated monthly fuel cost is the usage you enter multiplied by the current official price for your fuel grade. The price updates every week when DOSM publishes it.
Fixed deposit comparison
We display each bank's own published FD rate alongside the long-run DOSM rate history. We do not re-rank banks by any undisclosed score: the comparison simply puts the published numbers side by side.
How current the data is
Each tool refreshes on its source's own schedule, shown in the table above, and displays the date the underlying data is current as of. If a source is temporarily unavailable, the tool tells you so rather than showing an old number as if it were live. We would rather show nothing than show a stale figure without warning.
What we will not do
- We do not present estimates or model outputs as official figures.
- We do not use third-party aggregated or scraped data where an official source exists.
- We do not fabricate or seed sample numbers to fill a page.
- Product terms (promotional FD rates, card rates, loan rates) are checked against each provider's own disclosures and dated. Anything older than 90 days carries a notice to re-check before you act.
Not financial advice
money.com.my is an information service, not a licensed financial adviser. Our tools and guides help you understand the numbers and your options; they are not a personal recommendation. For advice on your own situation, speak to a licensed professional.
Related
For how we research, write and fact-check our guides, see our editorial standards. To try the tools these figures power, start at our tools.
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Email editor@money.com.my and we will verify and correct it, with a dated note.