KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's manufacturing sector recorded stronger sales in May and higher sales value by the workers, which in turn saw average salaries rising by 10% to RM3,562 from a year ago, according to the data from the Statistics Department.

Its chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said on Thursday May manufacturing sales rose  by 5.5% from RM61.9bil a year ago to RM65.3bil. 

“The significant increase in sales value in May 2018 was due to the increase in electrical and electronics products (7.5%); petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (6.8%) and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (4.3%),” he said.

In May, salaries and wages paid rose 10% or RM346.8mil to record RM3.81bil, thus registering an average salaries and wages per employee of RM3,562 in May, he said.

The sales value per employee rose 3.8% to RM61,071 from a year ago.

He said the manufacturing sector also recorded an increase in the workforce in May compared with a year ago.

Total employees in the sector rose by 1.7% or 18,077 workers from 1,051,923 persons in May 2017 to 1,070,000 persons.