Malaysia GDP growth seen slowing to 4% y-o-y in Q2: poll

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia's annual economic growth likely slowed to 4 per cent in the second quarter from 4.2 per cent in January-March, a Reuters poll showed, due to weak exports and private investments.

Projections of 14 economists polled ranged from 3.7 per cent to 4.5 per cent. If the figure is below 4.2 per cent, April-June will be Malaysia's fifth consecutive quarter of declining growth.

In January, the government trimmed its full-year 2016 growth forecast to 4.0-4.5 per cent from 4.0-5.0 per cent. In 2015, the economy expanded 5 per cent.

In ringgit terms, exports in the first half of 2016, expanded only 1.2 per cent from a year earlier. Imports rose 1.4 per cent.

Exports of palm oil and palm-based products - Malaysia is the world's second largest producer - dropped 20 per cent from a year earlier in June.

REUTERS