Malaysia Manufacturing PMI2015-2021 Data | 2022-2023 Forecast | Calendar

The IHS Markit Malaysia Manufacturing PMI was up to 43.4 in August 2021 from 40.1 in the prior month. This was the third straight month of contraction in the manufacturing sector but the least in the sequence, reflecting an easing in COVID-19 lockdown measures. Output dropped the least since May, and new orders shrank at the softest rate in the current three-month sequence of falls. Meantime, export sales failed to gather momentum, as virus cases rose in key external markets. At the same time, there was a renewed fall in employment, while backlogs of work increased after falling in July. On inflation, input cost inflation eased to a nine-month low yet remained steep overall, with output charges rising for th 15th month running and at a modest pace. Going forward, confidence hit its highest since April on optimism that the worst of the pandemic has passed.

The IHS Markit Malaysia Manufacturing PMI edged up to 40.1 in July 2021 from a 14-month low of 39.9 in June 2021, amid an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The reduction in new export sales was considerably softer than aggregate new orders, on pockets of demand improving in Europe and the US in particular. while employment levels stabilized, ending a period of three consecutive reductions. Meantime, both output and new orders moderated further, with the former being scaled back at the steepest rate since April 2020. Shortages of materials, as well as delays in receiving shipments, caused average supplier lead times to lengthen the most since May. Prices data showed input costs increasing for the 14th month running, due to rising prices for a range of raw materials and higher freight costs. Meantime, output charge inflation was at a five-month low. Finally, sentiment improved from June's record low, on hopes that national and international restrictions would end.

The IHS Markit Malaysia Manufacturing PMI plunged to 39.9 in June 2021 from 51.3 in May. This was the lowest reading since April 2020, as the recent rise in local COVID-19 cases led to the reintroduction of stricter curbs. Both output and new orders moderated the most since the pandemic emerged in April 2020; while foreign demand was subdued. Buying level dropped at a steeper rate in over a year as manufacturers utilized existing stocks of pre-and post-production inventories. Employment fell slightly as firms try to reduce outstanding business, with the resulting rate of backlog depletion was the fastest since February. Meantime, input cost rose for the 13th month running, with the pace of inflation remaining sharp. Selling prices also went up for the 13th month in a row, though the latest reading was the softest since February. Lastly, sentiment turned negative for the first time since March 2020, with the figure hitting a record low.

The IHS Markit Malaysia Manufacturing PMI dropped to 51.3 in May 2021 from a record high of 53.9 in April. This was the second straight month of expansion in the sector, and the first time back to-back monthly improvements since mid-2018. New orders grew for the second consecutive month, despite the pace of the expansion eased from April as the latest restrictions dampened client confidence. As a result, output volumes were scaled back, though the pace of moderation was only marginal. Also, export sales growth eased, as COVID-19 related disruptions in international markets intensified as infections rose in many countries. Meantime, employment fell slightly for the second month in a row. Input cost inflation accelerated for the twelfth straight month, while output charges also increased, as firms partially passed higher costs to customers. Looking ahead, confidence hit its lowest in four months, amid new restrictions and ongoing supply disruption.