Bangkok Post – Singaporeans flock to Malaysia for bargains as dollar hits record high

SINGAPORE – Carman Lee is back in Ipoh, her hometown in northwestern Malaysia, after a seven-and-half hour bus ride from Singapore for the upcoming Lunar New Year. The Westin Singapore employee has another reason to celebrate this festive season: an all-time high local dollar that makes everything that much cheaper against the ringgit.

“It’s really going crazy,” Lee said of the exchange rate. “It’s like a bonus — during Chinese New Year we buy soft drinks, beer and invite friends over, and this really helps. You can buy more.”

Lee is one of many residents in Singapore who are taking advantage of the local dollar’s unprecedented strength when they cross the border into Malaysia, as the cost of living…