KUALA LUMPUR:Malaysia’s economy continues to signal optimistic prospectsin the near term, as reflected inthe performance of the Leading Index (LI),which increased by 1.29% to 115.0 points in April 2026, compared with 113.5 points in the same month last year,according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM).
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the increase wasdriven bythe positive performance of several components, particularly the number of housing units approvedof 35.5%.
“However, the incline was tempered by declines in three other components, which affectedthe overall growth momentum,” he added.
On a monthly basis, Mohd Uzir said, the LI increased by 1.25% in April 2026, supported by the number ofnew companies registered and the real imports of semiconductors, each contributing 0.9%, in line with the development of technology-based economic activities and sustained demand for the electrical and electronics sector.
”Looking at the smoothed long-term trend in April 2026, the LI remained below 100 points, reflecting an optimistic economic growth outlook amid ongoing global uncertainties.
“Nevertheless, continued investment activities as well as demand related to digital technology and data centres are expected to remain as catalyst for the country’s economic growth,” Mohd Uzir said.
During the same period, the Coincident Index (CI), which gauges current economic conditions, climbed by2.6% to 131.6 points in April 2026 from 128.3 points in the same month of the previous year, driven by increases across all components, particularly the Industrial Production Index, which rose by 8.3%.
From a monthly perspective, the CI increased by 0.9% comparedto 0.8% in the previous month, driven by the Industrial Production Index (0.6%) and Capacity Utilisation in Manufacturing (0.5%).
