KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Malaysia's inflation, a measured by the consumer price index (CPI), rose 3.4% year-on-year (y-o-y) in November 2017, mainly on costlier transport besides food and non-alcoholic drinks.

In a statement today, the Statistics Department said the CPI's transport segment was up 10.8% while the food and non-alcoholic drinks portion rose 4%.

"The index of transport group showed a significant increase of 10.8% on a year-on-year basis in November 2017, after rising 12.1% in October 2017. The average price of 1 litre of RON95 petrol was RM2.30 in November 2017 as compared to RM1.95 in November 2016. As for RON97, the average price increased to RM2.59 in November 2017 as compared to RM2.30 in November 2016. Fuels & lubricants for personal transport equipment accounted for 7.8% of the CPI weights.

"The index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages, which accounted 30.2% in the CPI weights, increased 4.0% in November 2017," the department said.

The CPI rose 3.9% between January and November 2017 from a year earlier, according to the department. In monthly terms, November 2017 CPI increased 0.7% from October 2017, it added.

In October 2017, the CPI climbed 3.7% y-o-y, according to the department.