24.04.201902:36:00UTC+00Malaysia Prices Rise In March

Malaysia's consumer prices rose annually in March after falling in the previous month, figures from the Department of Statistics showed on Wednesday.

The consumer price index rose 0.2 percent year-on-year in March, partly reversing a 0.4 percent fall in February. Economists had expected prices to climb 0.3 percent.

Among the main groups, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 2.0 percent annually in March, followed by a 1.3 percent increase in education.

Prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco rose 1.1 percent each, and those in restaurants and hotels increased 1.0 percent.

On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices rose 0.2 percent in March, same as in February.

The core CPI rose 0.5 percent on a yearly basis in March.