Malaysia's inflation up 5.1% on higher cost of fuel

No queues were observed at a petrol station along Jalan University in Petaling Jaya Saturday night.

PETALING JAYA: Higher fuel prices sent the rate of inflation for March soaring to its highest level in nearly nine years, with the consumer price index (CPI) rising 5.1%.

With the headline inflation rate the highest since November 2008 but lower than expectations, it was the transport sub-sector, which tracks the price of petrol at the pump, that contributed much to the rise in inflation after it rose 23% from a year ago as the recovering price of global crude oil pushed prices higher in Malaysia.