September industrial output up 2.3% year-on-year

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's industrial production index (IPI) increased by 2.3% in September 2018 as compared with the same month of the previous year, according to Statistics Department.

"The growth of IPI in September 2018 was supported by the increase in the index of manufacturing (4.8%) and the index of electricity (4.2%)," Malaysia chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a statement.

"Meanwhile, the index of mining recorded a decline of 6.2% (August 2018: -4.6%)," he added.

The department said the increase in manufacturing output was driven by major sub-sectors, namely electrical and electronic equipment products (5.5%), petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (3.8%) and food, beverages and tobacco products (6.9%).
It also stated that the electricity output increased by 4.2% in September 2018 following an increase of 4% in August 2018.
Meanwhile, it said the decline in mining sector output was due to the decrease in the natural gas index (-6.2%) and the crude oil index (-6.3%).