Malaysia’s IPI up 3.7 pct in January 2014

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Industrial Production Index ( IPI) grew by 3.7 per cent in January 2014 compared with the same month a year ago, the Statistics Department said yesterday.

The increase was contributed by growth in the manufacturing, mining and electricity indices by 4.7 per cent, 1.5 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively.

In seasonally adjusted terms, the IPI in January 2014 fell by 1.3 per cent month- onmonth due to the decline in all indices, manufacturing (1.9 per cent), mining (1.7 per cent) and electricity ( 2.7 per cent) respectively.

On a yearly basis, the manufacturing output improved by 4.7 per cent in January 2014.

Major sub- sectors which registered increases in January 2014 were electrical and electronics products (13.3 per cent); petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (6.7 per cent); and transport equipment and other manufactures (4.7 per cent).

On a seasonally adjusted month- on-month basis, manufacturing output fell by 1.9 per cent in January 2014 from December 2013.

The output for the mining sector however rose by 1.5 per cent in January 2014 due to the crude oil index of 0.1 per cent and natural gas index 2.7 per cent.

Compared with December 2013, the seasonally adjusted output for the mining sector dwindled by 1.7 per cent.

Meanwhile, the electricity output increased 0.2 per cent in January 2014 on a yearly basis.

In seasonally adjusted terms, electricity output fell by 2.7 per cent in January 2014 compared with the previous month. — Bernama