Malaysia's economy remains resilient

DESPITE sluggish growth among nearly all its neighbours, Malaysia's third-quarter growth accelerated unexpectedly to 5 per cent on the back of strong domestic demand and a turnaround in exports. That means real GDP (gross domestic product) growth for the whole of 2013 is likely to fall within the government's projection of between 4.5 and 5 per cent.

If anything, economists have become even more bullish. RAM Holdings economist Yeah Kim Leng thinks that the country will grow at between 5 and 5.5 per cent. It is a view that is shared by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch and the government of Malaysia. Barclays Bank, on the…