Malaysian manufacturing sales in February rose 13.5 percent year-on-year to RM29.4 billion but fell 0.7 percent from a revised January figure of RM29.6 billion, the Statistics Department said today.

In figures announced last month, manufacturing sales for January rose 11.6 percent year-on-year to RM29.8 billion but were down 7.7 percent month-on-month.

For the first two months of this year, the sector had cumulative sales worth RM58.9 billion, an increase of 11.8 percent year-on-year, the department said in a statement to announce preliminary figures.

Economists said Malaysia's manufacturing sector rebounded in February on a monthly basis, a trend which should help the country's economy grow by at least six percent this year.

The central bank last month raised its 2004 growth forecast to 6.0-6.5 percent, up from 5.5-6.0 percent previously, after a better-than-expected showing of 5.2 percent last year. It projected double-digit expansion of 10.2 percent for manufacturing, after 8.2 percent growth in 2003. - AFP