KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Malaysia’s Industrial Production Index (IPI) surged 26 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in May 2021, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said all indices recorded an increase, with the manufacturing index expanding 29.8 per cent, mining index 20.7 per cent and electricity index 7.9 per cent.

In a statement today, he said the manufacturing sector’s output rose by 29.8 per cent y-o-y in May compared with a growth of 68.0 per cent in April 2021.

The major sub-sectors contributing to the growth in manufacturing sector in May 2021 were petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (34.8 per cent), non-metallic mineral products, basic metal & fabricated metal products (49.4 per cent), and transport equipment and other manufactures (68.9 per cent).

Mohd Uzir said export-oriented manufacturing industries saw a 25.3 per cent growth in output while domestic-oriented industries increased their production by 41.1 per cent.

The mining sector’s output grew 20.7 per cent in May 2021 compared with a year earlier.

The expansion was attributed to an increase in natural gas index (30.9 per cent) and crude oil and condensate index (8.6 per cent), he said.

The electricity sector’s output expanded 7.9 per cent in May 2021 compared to the same month of the previous year, he added. — Bernama