Malaysia’s CPI falls 0.2% in January

• Feb 24, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s consumer price index recorded a year-on-year (y-o-y) decrease of 0.2% to 122.1 in January, representing a 10th straight month of declines since March last year.

However, the CPI was 1.2% higher over the previous month and the core index was up 0.7% y-o-y.

Transport prices remained the leading laggard, falling 5.1% y-o-y while other declining sectors included housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, clothing and footwear, and restaurants and hotels, the National Statistics Department revealed.

Excluding fuel, the consumer price index increased 0.5% in January 2021 to 113.6.

This was mainly owing to the decrease in the price of unleaded petrol RON95 to RM1.87 per litre as compared to RM2.08 in January last year.

In other fuels, the average price of unleaded petrol RON97 dropped to RM2.17 per litre versus RM2.58 and the average price of diesel fell to RM2.04 per litre from RM2.18 a year earlier.

The cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages however rose 1.5% to 136.1 compared to the previous January while miscellaneous goods and services rose 1.8% and alcoholic beverages and tobacco gained 0.7%.

“Out of 552 items covered in CPI, 340 items showed an increase in January 2021 as against January 2020.

“On the contrary, 138 items declined, while 74 items were unchanged.

“Based on the performance of 552 items by category of goods and services, Non-Durable Goods (296 items) is a category that experienced the most price increased with 208 items, 71 items decreased and 17 items were unchanged as compared to Services, Semi-Durable Goods and Durable Goods,” said chief statistician Datuk Sri Mohd Uzir Mahidin.

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2021/02/24/malaysia039s-cpi-falls-02-in-january