Malaysia Inflation Eases To 1.3%

(RTTNews) - Malaysia's consumer price inflation eased slightly in October after rising to the highest level in seven months, data from the Department of Statistics showed on Friday.

The consumer price index, or CPI, climbed 1.3 percent annually in October, slower than the 1.5 percent rise in September. Economists had expected the inflation to remain stable at 1.5 percent.

Data showed that core inflation rose slightly to 2.2 percent in November from 2.1 percent.

Inflation based on food and non-alcoholic averages moderated to 1.5 percent from 2.1 percent. Meanwhile, the annual price growth in housing and utilities also slowed to 1.1 percent from 1.5 percent, and transportation costs dropped 0.1 percent.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices edged down 0.1 percent, reversing a 0.2 percent increase in September.