Malaysia Jan inflation cools more than expected to 1.0% year-on-year, lowest since 2009

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia's consumer price index in January rose 1.0 per cent from a year earlier, its smallest increase since November 2009, reflecting the drop in global oil prices.

Data from the Statistics Department on Wednesday attributed the inflation rate fall to the transport category that stemmed from lower fuel prices.

Economists had forecast in a Reuters poll that the annual inflation rate would ease to 1.9 per cent, from 2.7 per cent in December.

REUTERS