KUALA LUMPUR (June 11): Malaysia’s industrial production rose at a slower-than-expected pace in April as manufacturing activity picked up while mining and electricity output declined. 

The industrial production index — which measures output from factories, power plants and mines — rose 2.7% in April when compared to the same month in 2024, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said. That’s lower than the median 4.0% increase in a Bloomberg survey and March’s 3.2% year-on-year rise.

On a month-on-month basis, the index shrank 8.0% in April.

The latest data dovetails with the trend seen in major exporting nations, including Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Singapore, South Korea, the US and Japan.

On a year-on-year basis, Malaysia’s key manufacturing sector expanded 5.6%, picking up from 4.0% growth a month earlier. Mining output fell 6.3% compared to March’s 1.9% gain while electricity generation was down 1.6% versus 2.2% contraction in March.

Export-oriented industries grew at a faster pace of 6.4% versus 4.8% in March, mainly driven by computer, electronic and optical products as well as vegetable and animal oils and fats.

Domestic oriented industries also accelerated, up 3.9% in April following 2.3% growth in March, supported by food processing products, fabricated metal products, and basic metals.

Manufacturing sales totalled RM160.6 billion in April, a 4.8% increase from a year earlier, the department said in a separate statement. In March, sales were up 3.7% year-on-year.

Sales in the sector were mostly supported by food, electrical-and-electronics, and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products sub-sectors.