KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Malaysia’s leading index (LI) maintained its positive growth for 14 consecutive months, rising 0.4 per cent to 112.5 points in January 2025 versus 112.1 points in January 2024, said Statistics Department Malaysia (DOSM).
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the double-digit increases in the real imports of semiconductors (14.1 per cent) and the number of housing units approved (13.7 per cent) contributed to the rise.
January 2025’s smooth LI growth rate remained below 100.0 points, indicating modest economic growth prospects bolstered by resilient domestic demand despite a challenging international market.
In light of the current economic scenario, the coincident index (CI) saw a slight 0.1 per cent rise to 124.8 points against 124.7 points in the same month a year ago.
“This was contributed by marginal increases in four of the CI components although these were offset by a significant decrease in two other components,” he said.
On a monthly basis, Mohd Uzir said the CI shrank by 1.4 per cent due to a significant decline in capacity utilisation in manufacturing (-1.9 per cent).
— Bernama
