KUALA LUMPUR (May 10): Malaysia's industrial production index (IPI) saw a year-on-year increase of 3.1% in March 2019, supported by growth in electricity and manufacturing output.

In a statement today, the Statistics Department said the electricity index grew 4.8% while manufacturing grew 4.1%.

The major sub-sectors contributing to the increase in manufacturing in March were food, beverages and tobacco products (6.8%), petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (3.7%), and electrical and electronics products (2.7%).

Meanwhile, the mining index declined by 0.2%, attributed by the crude oil index, which fell 2%, while the natural gas index increased by 1.4%.

"The IPI of Malaysia for the first quarter 2019 recorded a growth of 2.7% as compared to the same period of the previous year. The increase was contributed by the growth in electricity sector (5.8%) and manufacturing sector (4%). Meanwhile, the mining sector declined by 1.9%," it said.