GDP growth seen slowing in second quarter

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s economic growth is expected to have slowed slightly in the second quarter as weaker private consumption partly offset a boost from resilient manufacturing and trade, a Reuters poll showed.
The economy likely grew 5.4% in April-June from the same period a year earlier, cooling from a 5.6% pace in the first quarter, according to the median forecast from 12 economists surveyed.
Forecasts ranged from 4.9% to 6%.
Malaysia’s economy grew faster than expected in January-March as solid exports and strong domestic demand produced the fastest growth in two years.
The central bank expects full-year growth to come in at 4.3-4.8%, up from 4.2% in 2016, which was the lowest rate since contracting in 2009. – Reuters