KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — Affin Hwang Investment Bank has maintained its real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast of 5.8 per cent for Malaysia this year on stronger exports, higher than 4.7 per cent recorded in 2013.

The research house said Malaysia’s exports of goods and services, in real terms, is expected to recover to 5.0 per cent in 2014 and maintain at that level in 2015.

“If external environment improves further in the months ahead, global manufacturers are likely to require more intermediate inputs from Asean economies, supporting the country’s export growth,” it said in a note today.

For 2015, Malaysia’s real GDP growth is expected to be at 5.3 per cent.

On trade balance, Affin Hwang expected it to be in a sizeable surplus of up to RM80 billion this year compared with RM71.3 billion recorded in 2013.

The current account surplus in the balance of payments was expected to improve between RM50 billion and RM55 billion this year from RM39.9 billion recorded last year.

Meanwhile, HLIB Research projected that Malaysia’s GDP was expected to grow by 6.0 per cent this year.

“With global economic outlook turning more cautious, the domestic economy was losing some steam and limited upside risk to demand-driven inflation next year.

“We expect Bank Negara Malaysia to extend its overnight policy rate pause throughout 2015 after keeping it unchanged at 3.25 per cent last Thursday,” it added. — Bernama