Malaysian manufacturing sales, a key driver of the economy, surged 18.5 percent in April compared with a year earlier, according to official data released today.

The statistics department credited the improvement, which compares with a revised 10.2 percent annual rise in March, to the strong performance of refined petroleum products, as well as computers and computer peripherals.

Measured against the previous month, manufacturing sales in April were down 0.1 percent for a total of RM48.27 billion from RM48.33 billion.

The number of people employed in the manufacturing sector, which accounts for about a third of Malaysia's gross domestic product, rose 0.9 percent to 1.096 million in April, it said.

For the first four months of the year, the manufacturing sector grew 15.8 percent to RM187.4 billion.

-AFP