KUALA LUMPUR: The manufacturing sector posted sales value of RM173.1 billion in March 2026, a increase of 5.3% year-on-year (y-o-y), said the Department of Statistics Malaysia.
In a statement today, Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidinsaid the growth in sales value within the manufacturing sector was mainly contributed by the electrical and electronics(E&E)products sub-sector, which rose 13.3% in March.
“This was further supported by the food, beverages and tobacco sub-sector; as well as non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products sub-sector, which increased by 7.8% and 3.7%respectively,” he said.
On a month-on-month basis, sales value rose by 8.7%, from RM159.2 billion recorded in February.
Sales value in the export-oriented industries, which account for 71.7% of total sales, expanded by 6.5% in March, led by the increase in the manufacture of computers, electronics and optical products at 15.2%.
The manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats registered an increase of 10.2%, while the manufacture of machinery and equipment grew 2.7%.
Compared to the sales value in the preceding month, the export-oriented industries surged by 10.7%.
Domestic-oriented industries increased 2.5% in March, after registering 2.7% in the previous month. mainly supported by the growth in the manufacture of food processing products industry at 5% in March, as well as the manufacture of basic metals and the manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products (3.2%).
On employment, Mohd Uzir said a total of 2.4 million employees were recorded in this sector for March, augmented by 1.1%, mainly driven by food, beverages and tobacco (2.1%), followed by E&E products and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products, which all recorded 1.4%.
The number of employees in the sector decreased 0.1% month-on-month.
Salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector posted an expansion of 2.2% y-o-y, amounting to RM8.56 billion in March. Compared to the amount recorded in the prior month, salaries and wages paid declined 0.2%.
For the first quarter of 2026, the manufacturing sector recorded sales value of RM 501.5 billion, a growth of 5.5% (fourth quarter2025: 5.8%).
The number of employees increased by 1.1% to 2.4 million persons, while salaries andwages increased by 2.3% to RM25.9 billion.
