MALAYSIA MANUFACTURING SECTOR SCORES DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH IN APRIL 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's manufacturing sector's sales
value in April 2011 continued to post a year-on-year double digit growth of 15.5
per cent to record RM49.7 billion (US$1=RM3.01), as compared to RM43.1 billion
in the same month last year, says the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

"The increase is attributed to the growth in the sales volume of 86
industries out of 116 covered in a survey," the department said in a statement,
here Thursday.

During January-April, the sales value of the manufacturing sector posted a
double-digit growth of 11.9 per cent or RM20.6 billion to register RM193.6
billion.

The five major industries whose sales value increased significantly in April
2011 were the manufacture of refined petroleum products (55.7 per cent), rubber
remilling and latex processing (50.8 per cent), manufacture of other basic
industrial chemicals except fertilisers and nitrogen compounds (33 per cent),
manufacture of semi-conductor devices (17.4 per cent) and manufacture of
electronic valves, tubes and printed circuit boards (15.5 per cent).

"Month-on-month, the sales value, however, decreased by 5.9 per cent or
RM3.1 billion as compared to the preceding month.

"The sales value in March 2011 was a revised positive 14.4 per cent
year-on-year to record RM52.8 billion," the department said.

The decrease in sales value in April 2011, meanwhile, was the result of the
drop in sales value of 77 industries out of 116 covered in the survey.

The manufacture of television and radio receivers, sound or video recording
or reproducing apparatus, and associated goods (22 per cent) as well as the
manufacture of other basic industrial chemicals except fertilisers and nitrogen
compound (14.1 per cent) and the manufacture of motor vehicles (16.1 per cent),
was recorded as the three major industries whose sales value decreased.