CPI declines 1.4 pct in September due to transport, housing

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined 1.4 per cent yearon-year (y-o-y) to 120.1 in September 2020 against 121.8 in the same month last year, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

However, it said the index remained unchanged compared with August 2020.

In the third quarter of 2020, headline inflation decreased 1.4 per cent to 120.2, compared with 121.7 in the corresponding quarter of last year.

On the quarterly basis, the CPI increased 1.5 per cent against the second quarter of 2020.

Commenting on the y-o-y drop, chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the overall decrease was due to transport (-9.9 per cent), housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (-3.0 per cent) and clothing & footwear (-0.6 per cent), which contributed 41.6 per cent to overall weight.

Nevertheless, food & nonalcoholic beverages rose by 1.4 per cent to 135.1 compared with 133.2 in September of the preceding year.

This group contributed 29.5 per cent of CPI weight. Similarly, miscellaneous goods & services increased 2.7 per cent, followed by communication (1.6 per cent) and health (1.1 per cent).

“The CPI without fuel shows a positive rate of 0.1 per cent in September 2020 against September last year. CPI without fuel covers all goods and services except unleaded petrol RON95, unleaded petrol RON97 and diesel,” said Mohd Uzir.

The average price of unleaded petrol RON95 in September 2020 decreased to RM1.68 per litre compared with RM2.08 in September 2019.

The average price of unleaded petrol RON97 fell to RM1.98 per litre against RM2.58 while the average price of diesel dropped to RM1.73 per litre from RM2.18 in the same month last year.

Mohd Uzir also said core index rose 1.0 per cent in September 2020 versus the same month of the previous year.

Among the major groups which influenced the increase were miscellaneous goods & services (2.7 per cent), communication (1.6 per cent), food & non-alcoholic beverages (1.4 per cent) and health (1.1 per cent).

Core inflation differs from the overall CPI as it excludes most volatile items of fresh food as well as administered prices of goods and services.

Meanwhile, Mohd Uzir said the index for all states decreased between 0.8 and 2.2 per cent in September 2020 compared with September 2019.

The highest decrease was recorded by Melaka (-2.2 per cent), Sabah & Labuan (-2.2 per cent) and Kedah & Perlis (-2.2 per cent), followed by Sarawak (-2.1 per cent), Negeri Sembilan (-1.9 per cent) and Johor (-1.9 per cent).

However, all states registered an increase in the index of food & non-alcoholic beverages. The highest increase was recorded by Selangor & Putrajaya (2.4 per cent), Terengganu (1.6 per cent), Johor (1.5 per cent) and Perak (1.5 per cent). — Bernama

The CPI without fuel shows a positive rate of 0.1 per cent in September 2020 against September last year. CPI without fuel covers all goods and services except unleaded petrol RON95, unleaded petrol RON97 and diesel. Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin