Malaysian consumer prices showed signs of easing in September, rising 3.4 percent from a year earlier after striking a six-year high of 3.7 percent in August, the government said Wednesday.

The decrease between the September and August figures was partially attributable to a lesser increase in prices in the main group of beverages and tobacco.

The group registered a 14 percent increase year-on-year for August but only a 1.6 percent increase year-on-year for September.

Overall prices were up 0.1 percent in September compared to the previous month, the Statistics Department said.

CPI up

The government in September projected inflation at 2.8 percent for 2005 against 1.4 percent in 2004.

For the nine months to September compared to the same period last year, the consumer price index increased 2.9 percent, with gains recorded in all the main groups except clothing and footwear, which decreased by 1.1 percent.

In the nine-month period, beverages and tobacco was up by 12.0 percent, transport and communication by 3.9 percent and food by 3.6 percent, the department said.

The main groups of food, gross rent, fuel and power, and transport and communication together accounted for 78.2 percent of the overall increase during the nine months, said the department.