Malaysian consumer prices in May were 3.9 percent higher than a year earlier, government data showed on Wednesday, due to higher transport and food costs.

The figure was below the 4.0 percent forecast in a Reuters poll, and down
from April's 4.4 percent.

Inflation had reached an eight-year high of 5.1 percent in March.

Transport costs rose 13.1 percent from a year earlier in May, data from the Statistics Department showed, while prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 4.4 percent.

The central bank said the annual headline inflation rate was 4.3
percent in the first quarter of 2017, but is expected to moderate in the second half of the year.

Bank Negara has set a 2017 inflation target of 3 to 4 percent.

- Reuters