Friday, 23 April 2010 17:01

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the period January to March 2010 increased by 1.3 per cent to 113.2 compared with that of 11
in the same period last year. When compared to the same month in 2009, the CPI for March 2010 registered an increase of 1.3 per c
from 111.7 to 113.2 and compared with the previous month, the CPI remain unchanged at 113.2.
The index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Non-Food for the month of March 2010 compared to the same month in 20
showed an increase of 1.7 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively. For the period January to March 2010, the index for Food & N
Alcoholic Beverages and Non-Food increased by 1.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively. Compared to the previous month,
index for Non-Food increased by 0.1 per cent while the index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages decreased by 0.1 per cent (Ta
1).

CPI changes for the period January - March 2010 / 2009

The 1.3 per cent increase in the CPI was brought about by increases observed in the indices of all the main groups except those
Clothing & Footwear ( - 1.5 per cent ) and Communication ( - 0.4 per cent ). Notable increases among these main groups with h
weights were Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages ( + 1.4 per cent ); Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels ( + 1.0 per cen
and Transport ( + 0.7 per cent ). Other increases were Miscellaneous Goods & Services ( + 3.1 per cent ); Alcoholic Beverages
Tobacco ( + 2.9 per cent ); Recreation Services & Culture ( + 2.7 per cent ); Education ( + 1.7 per cent ); Health and Restaurants
Hotels by 1.5 per cent respectively and Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance ( + 0.7 per cent ).

Table 1 : CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR MAIN GROUPS, MALAYSIA (2005=100)

Index % Change
Mar
Jan - Jan - Mar
Group Wt. Mar Feb Mar 2010 / Jan - Ma
Mar Mar 2010 / 
2009 2010 2010 Mar 2010 / 200
2009 2010 Feb 2010
2009
TOTAL 100.0 111.7 113.2 113.2 111.8 113.2 0.0 1.3 1.3

Food & Non-Alcoholic

31.4 120.3 122.5 122.4 120.7 122.4 -0.1 1.7 1.4
Beverages

Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco 1.9 130.2 134.0 134.1 130.2 134.0 0.1 3.0 2.9

Clothing and Footwear 3.1 96.0 94.6 94.5 96.2 94.8 -0.1 -1.6 -1.5

Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas

21.4 105.4 106.5 106.5 105.4 106.5 0.0 1.0 1.0
& Other Fuels
Furnishings, Household Equip. &
4.3 108.2 108.8 109.0 108.1 108.9 0.2 0.7 0.7
Routine Household Maintenance

Health 1.4 107.8 109.4 109.3 107.7 109.3 -0.1 1.4 1.5

Transport 15.9 111.9 112.8 112.7 111.9 112.7 -0.1 0.7 0.7

Communication 5.1 96.4 96.1 96.0 96.5 96.1 -0.1 -0.4 -0.4

Recreation Services & Culture 4.6 104.4 107.2 107.2 104.4 107.2 0.0 2.7 2.7

Education 1.9 108.1 109.8 110.0 108.0 109.8 0.2 1.8 1.7

Restaurants and Hotels 3.0 117.6 119.2 119.6 117.4 119.2 0.3 1.7 1.5

Miscellaneous Goods & Services 6.0 110.2 112.8 112.8 109.5 112.9 0.0 2.4 3.1

Non-Food 68.6 107.8 108.9 109.0 107.7 109.0 0.1 1.1 1.2

Durable Goods 8.0 100.0 100.6 100.5 99.5 100.6 -0.1 0.5 1.1

Semi-Durable Goods 4.3 98.0 97.0 96.9 98.2 97.2 -0.1 -1.1 -1.0

Non-Durable Goods 40.6 116.9 118.6 118.5 117.3 118.6 -0.1 1.4 1.1

Services 47.1 110.3 112.0 112.1 110.2 112.0 0.1 1.6 1.6
Based on the above changes and the weights assigned to the main groups, the relative contribution to the overall increase of 1.3
cent in the CPI can be identified as shown in Table 2. The three main groups, Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages; Housing, Wa
Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels and Transport together accounted for 65.3 per cent of the overall increase recorded for the curr
period.
Table 2 : CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHANGES IN THE OVERALL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX 
BY MAIN GROUPS, MALAYSIA (2005=100)
March January - March
2009 / 2008
2010 / 2009 2010 / 2009
Group Wt.
% % %
% Change % Change % Change
Contribution Contribution Contributio
TOTAL 100.0 0.6 100.0 1.3 100.0 1.3 100.0

Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages 31.4 4.1 199.7 1.7 45.5 1.4 39.1

Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco 1.9 6.1 18.8 3.0 5.0 2.9 5.3

Clothing and Footwear 3.1 -0.9 -3.8 -1.6 -3.1 -1.5 -3.2

Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas &

21.4 1.4 41.1 1.0 16.2 1.0 17.2
Other Fuels

Furnishings, Household Equip. &

4.3 2.9 18.0 0.7 2.2 0.7 2.3
Routine Household Maintenance

Health 1.4 2.3 4.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6

Transport 15.9 -9.4 -234.7 0.7 8.4 0.7 9.0

Communication 5.1 -0.5 -3.6 -0.4 -1.5 -0.4 -1.5

Recreation Services & Culture 4.6 1.5 10.1 2.7 9.0 2.7 9.2

Education 1.9 2.4 6.2 1.8 2.4 1.7 2.5

Restaurants and Hotels 3.0 2.9 13.2 1.7 4.1 1.5 4.0

Miscellaneous Goods & Services 6.0 3.8 30.7 2.4 10.3 3.1 14.5

The 1.4 per cent increase in the index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages was the result of increases for Food At Home ( + 1.1
cent ); Food Away From Home ( + 2.1 per cent ) and Coffee, Tea, Cocoa & Non-Alcoholic Beverages ( + 0.5 per cent ). Among
subgroups of Food At Home which showed significant increases during this period were Sugar, Jam, Honey, Chocolate a
Confectionery ( + 7.3 per cent ); Fruits ( + 1.8 per cent ); Meat ( + 1.5 per cent ); Fish & Seafood ( + 1.5 per cent ); Vegetabl
+ 1.0 per cent ) and Rice, Bread & Other Cereals ( + 0.6 per cent ).
Table 3 : CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR SUB-GROUPS OF FOOD AND
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, MALAYSIA (2005=100)
Index % Change
Sub-group Wt. Mar Feb Mar Jan - Mar Jan - Mar Mar 2010 / Mar 2010 / Jan - Mar
2009 2010 2010 2009 2010 Feb 2010 Mar 2009 2010 / 200
Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages 31.4 120.3 122.5 122.4 120.7 122.4 -0.1 1.7 1.4

Food 30.0 120.7 122.9 122.8 121.1 122.8 -0.1 1.7 1.4

Food At Home 19.6 121.1 123.3 123.1 121.8 123.2 -0.2 1.7 1.1

Rice, Bread & Other Cereals 4.6 127.9 128.7 128.8 127.9 128.7 0.1 0.7 0.6

Meat 2.9 116.0 117.8 118.4 116.2 117.9 0.5 2.1 1.5

Fish & Seafood 4.5 125.1 129.0 127.8 126.7 128.6 -0.9 2.2 1.5

Milk, Cheese & Eggs 1.8 121.6 119.9 119.8 123.0 120.4 -0.1 -1.5 -2.1

Oils and Fats 0.6 104.3 103.9 103.9 104.2 103.9 0.0 -0.4 -0.3

Fruits 1.4 112.3 113.4 113.8 111.4 113.4 0.4 1.3 1.8

Vegetables 2.3 122.9 126.7 126.4 125.3 126.6 -0.2 2.8 1.0

Sugar, Jam, Honey, Choc. & 

0.7 105.9 113.5 113.5 105.8 113.5 0.0 7.2 7.3
Confectionery

Food Products n.e.c. 0.8 114.1 118.8 119.4 114.4 118.9 0.5 4.6 3.9

Food Away From Home 10.4 119.9 122.1 122.4 119.6 122.1 0.2 2.1 2.1

Coffee, Tea, Cocoa & Non-

1.4 113.2 113.7 114.1 113.2 113.8 0.4 0.8 0.5
Alcoholic Beverages

Monthly Changes for CPI

 Compared with the previous month, the CPI for March 2010 remain unchanged at 113.2. Increases were shown in four main gro
namely Restaurants & Hotels ( + 0.3 per cent ); Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance and Educat
by 0.2 per cent respectively; Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco ( + 0.1 per cent ). On the other hand, decreases were shown for Food
Non-Alcoholic Beverages; Clothing & Footwear; Health; Transport and Communication by 0.1 per cent respectively. Indices
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels; Recreation Services & Culture and Miscellaneous Goods & Services rem
unchanged at 106.5; 107.2 and 112.8 respectively.

The 0.1 per cent decrease in the index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages in March 2010 compared with that of the previous mo
was the result of decrease in the index for Food At Home by 0.2 per cent while the index for Food Away From Home and Coffee, T
Cocoa & Non-Alcoholic Beverages were increased by 0.2 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively.

Among the food items which recorded notable increases in the index in March 2010 compared with the previous mo
wereCucumber ( + 16.0 per cent ); Apples, Green ( + 3.8 per cent ); Kailan ( + 3.4 per cent ); Choy Sum ( + 3.0 per cen
Round Scad (Fish) ( + 1.3 per cent ) and Chicken ( + 0.7 per cent ).
Meanwhile, the index of some food items decreased in March 2010 compared with the previous month. Among these wereTomato
- 19.3 per cent ); Red Chillies ( - 8.4 per cent ); Onions, Big ( - 7.2 per cent ); Honeydew ( - 3.8 per cent ); Brinjals ( - 3.7
cent ); Indian Mackerel (Fish) ( - 2.1 per cent ) and Cuttlefish ( - 1.9 per cent ).
A reclassification of items according to their durability and services rendered showed an increase of 0.1 per cent for Services. Indi
for Semi-Durable Goods; Durable Goods and Non-Durable Goods decreased by 0.1 per cent respectively.

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