Manufacturing sales in October surged 11.7 percent year-on-year to RM30.5 billion for a second consecutive month of double-digit growth but were down 1.6 percent from September, official data showed today.

For the ten months to October, manufacturing sales rose 10 percent year-on-year to RM281.30 billion, the Statistics Department said.

Economists said the strong performance was buoyed by improved global demand, which led to a recovery in Malaysian exports after a slump in previous months.

"This marks the second consecutive month of double-digit growth in manufacturing sales," said Azrul Azwar, economist with MIDF SISMA Securities.

"External demand clearly supplied most of the fuel for manufacturing sales ... and was backed up by strong growth in domestic demand."

Prelimary figures last month showed that manufacturing sales in September breached the RM30 billion mark for the first time in three years, growing 10.90 percent year-on-year to RM30.51 billion and were up 5.0 percent from August.

New Prime Minister and Finance Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said Malaysia's economic outlook remains strong and predicted growth of 5.5 to 6.0 percent for 2004, up from 4.5 percent expected this year.