KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — Malaysia’s wholesale and retail trade sales value increased 5.4 per cent to RM114.8 billion in January 2020 compared with the same month a year ago, says the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

In a report released today, chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin attributed the growth to retail trade, which grew by 6.7 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) or RM2.9 billion.

"Similarly, the sales value of wholesale trade rose by 5.2 per cent y-o-y (RM2.8 billion) to RM55.6 billion and motor vehicles expanded by 1.0 per cent (RM0.1 billion), respectively.

"The expansion in wholesale trade was supported by other specialised wholesale (7.5 per cent), wholesale of household goods (6.6 per cent), wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco (5.8 per cent) and wholesale on a fee or contract basis (5.3 per cent),” he said.

Meanwhile, sales value of motor vehicles, which rose by 1.0 per cent y-o-y, was supported by maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (3.1 per cent), sale, maintenance and repair of motorcycles (3.0 per cent) and sale of motor vehicle parts and accessories (2.0 per cent). — Bernama