KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's manufacturing sales value rose 9.1 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM175.0 billion in April 2026, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The rise was driven mainly by growth in the electrical and electronics (E&E) products sub-sector, and the manufacturing sector's sales growth was higher than the 5.3 per cent recorded in March 2026, stated DOSM in a statement today.
DOSM chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the E&E products sub-sector expanded 13.4 per cent in April 2026 from 13.3 per cent in March.
"This was further supported by the food, beverages and tobacco sub-sector, as well as the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products sub-sector, which increased by 9.0 per cent and 4.4 per cent, respectively, compared with 7.8 per cent growth and a 5.1 per cent contraction recorded in March 2026.
"On a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis, sales value increased 1.1 per cent from RM173.1 billion recorded in March 2026," he said.
Export-oriented industries, which accounted for 70.6 per cent of total sales, expanded 9.6 per cent in April 2026, compared with 6.5 per cent in the previous month.
"The performance was led by the manufacture of computers, electronics and optical products, which expanded 15.0 per cent in April 2026 compared with 15.2 per cent in March 2026.
"Moreover, the manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats registered growth of 11.0 per cent, up from 10.2 per cent in March 2026, while the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products expanded 5.3 per cent after contracting 2.8 per cent in the previous month," said DOSM.
However, the sales value of export-oriented industries declined 0.5 per cent compared with the preceding month.
Domestic-oriented industries grew 7.8 per cent in April 2026 after registering a 2.5 per cent increase in March.
The performance was mainly driven by growth in food processing products, which expanded 5.8 per cent from 5.0 per cent in March 2026, as well as other non-metallic mineral products and basic metals, which grew 8.8 per cent and 6.4 per cent, respectively.
"The domestic-oriented industries expanded 5.1 per cent on a m-o-m basis," said DOSM.
On employment, Mohd Uzir said the manufacturing sector employed 2.4 million workers in April 2026, up 1.2 per cent y-o-y.
"The augmentation was mainly driven by the food, beverages and tobacco sub-sector at 2.2 per cent, followed by the non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products sub-sector at 1.7 per cent and the electrical and electronics products sub-sector at 1.5 per cent.
"The number of employees in the sector increased 0.7 per cent m-o-m," said Mohd Uzir.
Salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector increased 3.1 per cent y-o-y to RM8.56 billion in April 2026.
Salaries and wages paid increased 0.1 per cent m-o-m, while sales value per employee rose 7.7 per cent y-o-y to RM71,993 and average salaries and wages per employee increased 1.8 per cent to RM3,524.
For the January-April 2026 period, manufacturing sales value rose 6.4 per cent to RM676.5 billion, while the number of employees increased 1.2 per cent to 2.4 million and salaries and wages grew 2.5 per cent to RM34.4 billion.
"Sales value per employee stood at RM278,344, an increase of 5.1 per cent," said DOSM. - Bernama
