KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s industrial production index (IPI) increased by 4.3% in January 2022 compared to the corresponding period a year ago, contributed by the increment in the manufacturing and electricity indices.

       Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the expansion of the IPI was driven by the rise of 6.8% in the manufacturing index and 7.7% in the electricity index.

       However, he said the mining index recorded a decline of 5.1%.

       “On month-on-month basis, the IPI decreased by 1.2%, affected by the manufacturing and mining indices,” said Mohd Uzir in a statement yesterday.

       Meanwhile, he said the manufacturing sector output based on year-on-year comparison rose by 6.8% in January 2022 after recording a growth of 8.4% in December 2021.

       This was driven by the electrical and electronics products (14.4%), food, beverages and tobacco products (6.7%) and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (6.2%).

       Mohd Uzir explained that the growth of the manufacturing sector was driven by both export-oriented industries (6.7%) and domestic-oriented industries (7%).

       “The increase in export-oriented industries was mainly supported by the manufacture of computer, electronics and optical products and the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products.”

       He said the performance of the manufacturing sector was also in line with the encouraging growth of exports.

       “The growth for the domestic-oriented industry was attributed by the manufacture of food products and manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment,” he added.

       For month-on-month comparison, Mohd Uzir said the manufacturing sector decreased 1.7% as compared to December 2021, influenced by lower capacity utilisation especially in the electrical and electronic products and food, beverages and tobacco products sub-sectors.

       Similarly, he added that the mining sector output declined 5.1% in January 2022 as compared to the same period a year ago, affected by the decrease of 13.9% in crude oil and condensate index.

       Mohd Uzir said the mining index registered a marginal decrease of 0.02% as compared to the previous month.