Malaysia Jan factory output up 7% y-o-y, slightly below forecast

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia's industrial production in January rose 7 per cent from a year earlier, below expectations, data from the Statistics Department showed on Thursday.

A Reuters poll had forecast annual factory output would expand 7.4 per cent, thanks to a low base a year ago when Lunar New Year came earlier than it did this year.

Data showed that factory production was boosted by manufacturing, mining and electricity sectors. Exports for the month fell 0.6 per cent, affected by the slowdown in China.

REUTERS