PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased marginally by 0.2% to 121.0 in November from 120.8 in the same month last year, said the Department of Statistics.
According to Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, the overall increase in index is due to higher prices for housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (+2.0%); education (+1.4%); restaurants & hotels (+1.2%); food & non-alcoholic beverages (+1.1%); and alcoholic beverages & tobacco (+1.0%).
On a month-on-month basis, the CPI increased 0.2% from October.
Meanwhile, for the period of Jan to Nov, the CPI registered a rise of 1.0% as compared with the same period last year.
In terms of overall CPI, four states surpassed the national CPI rate of 0.2% recorded in the month under review, namely Kuala Lumpur (+1.2%), Negri Sembilan (+0.6%), Penang (+0.6%) and Johor (+0.3%).
Selangor and Putrajaya recorded the same rate as the national CPI.
Higher increase in the index for food & non-alcoholic beverages was reflected in most states in Malaysia with four states surpassing the national index level (+1.1 %) in November 2018 as compared with the corresponding month in 2017. The four states are Kuala Lumpur (+4.8%), Negri Sembilan (+1.5 %), Penang (+1.3 %) and Selangor and Putrajaya (+1.2 %).
MIDF Research said amid higher base effects, it foresees headline inflation rate to average at 1.3% this year compared with 3.8% in 2017, supported by lower inflation rate for the first eleven months which registered at 1% against 3.8% in the same period last year.
“We expect inflationary pressure mainly from fuel-related items to calm, consistent with gradual rise in global commodity prices on top of pass-through effect from a strengthening ringgit and subsidy of domestic fuel price.”
