KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's manufacturing sector in December saw the sharpest deterioration in at least six-and-a-half years, a Nikkei survey showed.The Nikkei Malaysia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index, a measure of business conditions in the country's manufacturing sector, hit 46.8 in December, down from 48.2 in November, the lowest level since the survey started in July 2012.Readings above 50 indicate an expansion while those below 50 indicate a contraction. "December data revealed the strongest contraction in the Malaysian manufacturing sector that has ever been recorded in the survey’s six-and-a-half-year history. "Malaysian manufacturers also received unfavourable intakes of new work from overseas in December. "Orders from clients in European and the Asia-Pacific region were reportedly down on the month. However, the rate of inflation eased to a four-month low.

Source: thestar January 02, 2019 05:22 UTC