Malaysia likely the only country in the region to see faster growth this year

THE economic outlook for South-East Asia has turned less rosy this year, with gross domestic product (GDP) for most major economies in the region, except Malaysia, expected to grow at a slower pace than what was achieved in 2013.

RHB Research, which lumps Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines together as the Asean-5, has recently slashed its 2014 growth forecast for the region to 4.3% from its earlier forecast of 4.7%.