KUALA LUMPUR: Manufacturers were surprisingly upbeat in the first quarter of this year, underpinned by higher sales, production volumes and expected export sales, according to a Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (Mier) survey.
Releasing the results of the Business Conditions Index (BCI) survey for the first quarter yesterday, Mier said BCI - which tracks domestic manufacturing activity rebounded 14.3 points quarter-on-quarter. The rebound, which more than erased the 11.9 points the BCI lost in the previous quarter, also reversed two consecutive quarters of declines. The BCI is also 14.4 points higher year-on-year, it said.