Malaysia's June CPI drops 1.4 pct

• Source: Xinhua
• [13:43 July 23 2009]
• Comments

Malaysian Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Tuesday that Malaysia's Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 111.8 in June this year, down 1.4 percent compared with the same month last year, led by the decrease of transport index.

The transport index for the month lowered by 18.0, while other decreases were showed in clothing and footwear with 1.1 percent, and communication with 0.5 percent.

Ismail said that the decline of 1.4 percent in CPI for June this year was due to changes in price of petrol and diesel starting in June 2008.

For June this year, main groups recorded increasing index as compared with June last year, including alcoholic beverages and tobacco with 8.1 percent, miscellaneous goods and services with 3. 7 percent, food and non-alcoholic beverages with 3.4 percent, and restaurants and hotels with 3.1 percent.

However, CPI for the period Jan-June 2009 increased by 2.5 to 111.7 compared with the same period last year.

The increases of CPI for Jan-June this year was contributed by alcoholic beverages and tobacco (8.2 percent), food and non- alcoholic beverages (7.2 percent), and furnishings, household equip, and routine household maintenance (4.4 percent).

Compared with the previous month, the CPI for June 2009 also edged up by 0.1 percent.