Malaysia's industrial production in July recorded faster-than-expected growth as manufacturing activity increased and mining output recovered.
The Industrial Production Index rose 4.2% year-on-year, beating forecasts of 2.8% and well above the 2.9% reading recorded in June.
The index showed a 0.3% decline in the monthly reading in July, according to a report published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia.
In the manufacturing segment, growth of around 4.4% was achieved year-on-year, driven mainly by exports of electronic products and machinery.
Industrial investment that focuses on the domestic market recorded a slight decline in some products such as paper, while basic metals and fabricated metal products showed an increase.
Mining and energy activities also contributed to growth as crude oil and natural gas production increased, with the annual reading of the mining index recording a growth of 4.3%.
Meanwhile, electricity generation recorded a growth of 1.6% year-on-year, slightly down from the 2.3% increase recorded in June.
