1. Malaysia’s economic growth in the first quarter of
2011 is expected to be no less than 4.5%, Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor
Mohamed Yakcop said. He said the country’s
growth was expected to pick up in the second half of
2011 with Gross Domestic Product seen expanding
between 5-6% for the whole year. Meanwhile, the
World Bank’s senior economist for Malaysia, Philip
Schellekens, said the country was expected to
develop favourably at 5.3% in 2011 and 5.5% in
2012 after staging a strong recovery last year.
Private investment is set to strengthen but remains
highly sensitive to progress with the implementation
of Economic Transformation Programme (ETP)
projects. Consumer price inflation, meanwhile, is
expected to gain strength before moderating.
Inflation is expected at 3% in 2011 and 2.5% in 2012
as a result of higher global food and energy prices.
Further Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) rises are
expected in the coming months but how soon the
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