CPI up 3.9pc in May, but inflation stays stable

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.9 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) last month compared with a 4.4 per cent increase in April.

However, core inflation remained stable at 2.6 per cent, said the Statistics Department in a statement yesterday.

Among the major indices that recorded increases were transport and food and nonalcoholic beverages.

The department said the transport group index showed a significant increase of 13.1 per cent, y-o-y last month, after rising 16.7 per cent in April.

The average price of one litre of RON95 petrol was RM2.09 last month compared with RM1.70 in the same period last year, while the average price of RON97 increased to RM2.37 against RM2.05 previously.

Fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment accounted for 7.8 per cent of the CPI weight.

During the month, the food and non-alcoholic beverages index, which accounted for 30.2 per cent, increased 4.4 per cent, fuelled by the food sub-group such as oils and fats, vegetables, fish and seafood.

The department said the increase in the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages was reflected in most places, especially in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya, Penang, Johor and Melaka.

For January to last month, it said the CPI increased 4.3 per cent compared with the same period last year, mainly due to an increase in the food and non-alcoholic beverages index, which rose 4.1 per cent. Bernama