KUALA LUMPUR (March 21): Malaysia's inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), rose 1.4% in February 2018 from a year earlier, mainly on the increase seen in the CPI's food and non-alcoholic beverages segment.

Statistics Department chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a statement today that the CPI's food and non-alcoholic beverages segment rose 3%.

"Among the main groups, the increases were food and non-alcoholic beverages index (+3.0 per cent), furnishings, household equipment & routine household maintenance (+2.1 per cent), health (+2.1 per cent), housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (+2.0 per cent), and restaurants & hotels (+1.8 per cent). 

He said “the overall index was also affected by the drop in the transport group by 0.3 per cent in February 2018. Other groups which also showed decreases were clothing and footwear (-0.7 per cent) and communication (-0.5 per cent)."

For the January-February 2018 period, Mohd Uzir said the CPI increased 2% from a year earlier.

For January, the department said the CPI rose 2.7% from a year earlier.