BNM needs to raise rate if
1. RM outflow is severe, resulted RM depreciating fast.
As fast depreciating currency could de-stabilise the economy, due to confidence.
Also it depleted the purchasing power if population across.
Why you want economy growth? is to increase your puchasing power. So a fast depreciating currency is not an interest for BNM or any country.
A outflow money will cause foreign currency reserves depleting.
So watch out the figure of foreign currency reserves, current account surplus/deficit, trade deficit/surplus.
As long as those figures are not in significant deficit situation, it is still orderly.
2. Strong economy aka demand is strong, that could lead to inflation (inflation also a depleting purchasing power factor). High demand is pull factor, aka more demand>supply lead to price hike.
So raising rate could dampen the demand, which eventually slow down the inflation.
But currently, inflation situation is more a push factor, aka cost rising, little to do with demand factor.
That's why until now BNM is reluctantly to raise rate, because raising rate won't able to cure the push factor inflation.
Most emerging countries currencies are dropping across against USD, RM is not alone, due to QE tapering.
Economy or currency level is about balance act in between, too strong, too weak are neither good for a country.
Right. If you see the current situation, currencies of developing economies (not emerging) such as India, Thailand, Indonesia including Malaysia are taking a beating now due to anticipating of the Feds QE tapering.
BNM will play their cards closely and will not increase rates just because the MYR is near its all time low. BNM will strongly take into account the inflation rate in the country. Can't remember how much was the target inflation rate though. Somewhere around 3% thereabout.