January CPI down by 0.7 per cent

KUALALUMPUR:Theconsumer price index (CPI) fell 0.7 per cent in January to 120.5 compared with 121.3 recorded in the same period a year ago, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

It said the lower index was due to the decrease in the transport index of (-7.8 per cent) which contributed 14.6 per cent of overall weight but was countered by the increase in the indexes of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (+2.0 per cent) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (+1.0 per cent).

“The lower average price of RON 95 in January 2019, at RM1.98 per litre versus RM2.28 in January 2018, contributed to the decrease of the transport and overall index.

“In addition, the average price of RON 97 decreased to RM2.28 per litre as compared to RM2.55 while diesel recorded RM2.12 per litre from RM2.31 in the corresponding month of the preceding year,” chief statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a statement yesterday.

Nevertheless, he said food and non-alcoholicbeveragescontinued to increase in January 2019 by 1.0 per cent to 132.9 against 131.6 in the previous corresponding month.

Mohd Uzir said food and nonalcoholic beverages contributed 29.5 per cent of CPI weights.

“Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels also showed an increase by 2.0 per cent, followed by restaurants and hotels (+1.2 per cent), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (+1.1 per cent) and education (+0.9 per cent),” he said.

On a monthly basis, the CPI also registered a decrease of 0.5 per cent as compared with December 2018.

“All states recorded a decrease of 0.2 per cent to 1.5 per cent in January 2019 compared with the same period last year.

“However, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur showed an increase of 0.2 per cent as compared to the same month in 2018,” he added. — Bernama