Malaysia holds rate while policy makers study GST impact on price, growth risks

Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA's central bank left its key interest rate unchanged for a fifth straight meeting, refraining from adding stimulus as policy makers assess the impact of a new tax on price pressures and consumption.

Bank Negara Malaysia kept the overnight policy rate at 3.25 per cent, it said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The decision was predicted by 21 of 22 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, with one forecasting a 25-basis point cut.