Advertisement

Image credit: The Malaysian Reserve

KUALA LUMPUR: Domestic manufacturing activity is expected to remain on a recovery path, mainly backed by borders reopening and the pent up demand bolstered by various policy support and a higher vaccination rate.

Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd said, nonetheless, the firm's growth projection remains subject to several downside risks attributable to global supply chain disruptions brought by ongoing China's zero-Covid policy and the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

However, the adverse effect is expected to be limited given Malaysia's export diversification and robust demand from key trading partners, Kenanga noted.

"Against this backdrop, we maintain our first quarter (Q1) 2022 gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate at 5.7 per cent, bringing the overall 2022 growth at 5.0-5.5 per cent," Kenanga said in a recent note.

The research firm noted that domestic manufacturing activity returned to an expansion at the start of the second quarter of 2022, mainly due to higher demand.

This signalled a continued recovery in the manufacturing sector driven by various policy support and the transition to an endemic phase amid heightened external pressures.

New orders recorded the sharpest rise since April 2014 due to improved client confidence.

Kenanga said nonetheless, output remained subdued and was scaled back for the fourth straight month mainly due to ongoing material and labour shortages, as well as delivery delays.

Input cost increased for the 23rd straight month, with firms continuing to pass higher costs onto clients partially.

Kenanga also noted that the optimism was driven by hopes that demand conditions would improve as the pandemic subside.

Nonetheless, the firm said that the degree of optimism dipped to an eight-month low due to concerns that rising prices and ongoing material shortages could impede production levels.

Meanwhile, the employment level fell for the fourth straight month in April due to difficulty obtaining foreign workers' permits amid ongoing border restrictions.

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2022/05/794619/sector-remain-recovery-path