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At the Monetary Policy Committee
(MPC) meeting today, Bank Negara Malaysia decided to maintain the
Overnight
Policy Rate (OPR) at 3.00 percent.
Latest indicators suggest that the global growth momentum has moderated in
recent months. Economic activity in the advanced economies is being weighed
down by heightened market volatility and lower confidence, amid rising
policy uncertainties. Labour market conditions in several of these economies
also continue to be weak. Going forward, these conditions may persist as
critical policy issues remain unresolved and pose further downside risks to
global growth. In the Asian region, sustained domestic demand is projected
to continue to support economic growth. Nevertheless, greater weakness in
the external environment is expected to affect regional growth prospects.
The domestic economy improved in the third quarter, due primarily to
stronger domestic demand. Export performance also improved, reflecting firm
regional demand and the normalisation of trade flows from supply chain
disruptions. Looking ahead, the weaker external environment could, however,
impact the overall growth prospects. Domestic demand will continue to be the
anchor of growth, supported by private consumption and investment and
reinforced by public sector spending and investment activity. Employment
conditions are also expected to remain stable.
Domestic headline inflation was 3.4% in September on account of the slower
increase in the transport category. Going forward, inflation is expected to
remain stable for the rest of the year and moderate in 2012. Global energy
prices are expected to experience some moderation while the impact of
domestic demand factors on inflation is also expected to remain contained.
High food price inflation, largely due to supply disruptions, continues to
remain a concern.
In the MPC's assessment, the global economic outlook is expected to be
weaker and international financial market conditions will remain highly
uncertain and volatile going forward. While the domestic economy is expected
to expand, these external developments could affect the overall growth
prospects of the Malaysian economy. The MPC will continue to monitor these
developments and assess the risks to the outlook for domestic growth and
inflation.
The meeting also approved the schedule of
MPC meetings for 2012. In
accordance with the Central Bank of Malaysia Act 2009, the MPC will convene
six times a year. The Monetary Policy Statement will be released at 6 p.m.
on the same day as the MPC meeting.
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