Malaysian manufacturing sales, a key driver of the economy, rose 14.8 percent in May compared with a year earlier, according to official data released today.

The statistics department attributed the rise, which compares with a revised 17.7 percent annual rise in April, to the strong performance of refined petroleum products and iron and steel products.

Measured against the previous month, manufacturing sales in May grew 1.7 percent to a total of RM48.7 billion from RM47.9 billion.

The number of people employed in the manufacturing sector, which accounts for about a third of Malaysia's gross domestic product, fell 1.4 percent to 1.092 million during the month, it said.

For the first five months of the year, the manufacturing sector grew 15.4 percent to RM235.7 billion.

-AFP