Malaysia's inflation rate hit a new six-year high of 3.7 percent in August due to higher costs of items including fuel and food, the Statistics Department said.

The consumer price index (CPI) in August rose 3.7 compared to a year earlier and gained 0.6 percent from July, it said in a statement.

It had previously hit a six-year high in June at 3.2 percent but was topped by August's result, which followed a July increase in fuel prices - the fourth since last October.

Prices have been climbing steadily since October 2004 when the CPI was up 2.1 percent, rising by 2.7 percent in April and 3.1 percent in May.

For the eight months to August, the CPI increased 2.8 percent over the same period last year, with rises in all the main groups except for clothing and footwear.

Series of measures

Notable increases in the eight months included beverages and tobacco at 13.6 percent year-on-year, food at 3.6 percent and transport and communications at 3.6 percent, the department said.

It added that food, gross rent, fuel and power, as well as transport and communication collectively accounted for 76.5 percent of the overall increase in the eight months.

Malaysia this month announced a series of measures including capping fuel prices and road tolls to try to contain inflation and keep economic growth on track in the face of rising fuel prices worldwide.

Recent oil price increases have hit the entire economy, with many traders raising prices of goods and services.