KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) — The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 4.7 per cent year-on-year in April 2021 — the highest inflation since 2018, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

In a statement today, chief statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the trend is expected to continue until the first quarter of 2022.

"The increase in the overall index was driven by the increase in the index of transport (27 per cent) due to the low base effect from the preceding year.

"As we know, the average price of unleaded petrol RON95 in April 2021 increased 61.4 per cent to RM2.05 per liter compared to RM1.27, unleaded petrol RON97 increased 62.4 per cent to RM2.55 per liter compared to RM1.57 and diesel increased 44.3 per cent to RM2.15 per liter from RM1.49," he said.

Meanwhile, he said housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 3.1 per cent compared to the same month of the preceding year due to the termination of the electricity discount given to domestic consumers of Tenaga Nasional Bhd under the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (PRIHATIN) beginning from April 2020 and ended in December 2020.

Furthermore, he said the Index of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased 1.9 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year due to shortage in supply, higher demand and uncertainty in weather.

"Even though the overall index increased but the core index which excludes most volatile items of fresh food as well as administered prices of goods and services rose 0.7 per cent in April 2021 compared to the same month of the previous year.

"The CPI without fuel increased 1.7 per cent in April 2021 to 113.8 compared to 111.9 in the same month of the preceding year. CPI without fuel covers all goods and services except unleaded petrol RON95, unleaded petrol RON97 and diesel. Meanwhile, on a monthly basis, CPI increased by 0.2 per cent compared to March 2021," he said.

"Six states namely Terengganu (6.3 per cent), Kelantan (5.7 per cent), Pahang (5.6 per cent), Kedah and Perlis (5.1 per cent), Negeri Sembilan (5.0 per cent) and Johor (4.9 per cent) surpassed the national CPI rate of 4.7 per cent in April 2021 compared to the same month of the previous year. All states registered an increase in the index of food and non-alcoholic beverages," he said.