Malaysia's inflation up by 1.8pct in February

Malaysia's inflation increased by 1.8 per cent in February with the index points recorded at 132.1 against 129.8 a year earlier, according to the Statistics Department.

Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the increase in inflation was driven by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (2.7 percent); recreation, sports and culture (1.6 percent) and transport (1.2 percent).

“However, the other main groups that recorded a slower increase were restaurant and accommodation services (2.9 percent), health (2.2 percent), food and beverages (F&B) (1.9 percent) and education (1.5 percent),” he said in a statement today.

The F&B group, which contributes 29.8 percent of the total consumer price index weightage, recorded a slower increase of 1.9 percent in February compared to 2.0 percent in January, he added.

Uzir said the monthly inflation continued to show an increase of 0.5 percent (January: 0.2 percent) with housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; restaurant and accommodation services; and transport posting increases of 1.3 percent, 0.6 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

Core inflation increased at the same rate as January at 1.8 percent due to increases in F&B, restaurant and accommodation services, which recorded expansion of 3.1 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, in February.

Malaysia’s 1.8 percent inflation rate was lower than Vietnam (4.0 percent), Philippines (3.4 percent), the United States (3.2 percent), South Korea (3.1 percent) and Indonesia (2.8 percent).

It was higher than China (0.7 percent) and Thailand (-0.8 percent).

- Bernama