(AFP) Malaysia's manufacturing sales fell 12.9 percent year-on-year to RM25.7 billion in October, but rose 0.4 percent from a month earlier, the government said today.

For the 10 months to October, manufacturing sales contracted 5.3 percent to RM260.9 billion from a year earlier, the Statistics Department said in a statement.

In October, some 992,796 workers were employed in the sector, down 4.9 percent from the same month last year and 0.8 percent lower than in September.

The November consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.5 percent year-on-year and was up 0.8 percent from a month earlier, the department said.

For the 11 months to November, the CPI rose 1.4 percent from a year earlier due to increases in all indices except clothing and footwear which fell 2.6 percent, and recreation, entertainment, education and cultural services which were 0.1 percent lower.

Three main groups - food; gross rent, fuel and power; and transport and communication - collectively accounted for 89.3 percent of the overall increase in the 11 months.