KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 ― Malaysia’s manufacturing sales grew 15.3 per cent to RM140.7 billion in October 2021 from the same month in 2020, driven by the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic Products subsector which rose 27.0 per cent especially in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products industries.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) said from January to October 2021 period, the sales value of the manufacturing sector increased by 15.1 per cent to RM1.27 trillion compared with the same period last year.

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the expansion was also attributed by the electrical and electronics products subsector (16.9 per cent) mainly in the manufacture of computer, optical and electronics products and food, beverages and tobacco subsector (11.8 per cent) supported by the manufacture of food products industries.

"Sales value for export-oriented industries which accounted for 72.4 per cent of total sales value recorded an increase of 17.8 per cent while domestic-oriented industries posted an increment of 9.3 per cent in October 2021 compared with the same month in 2020.

"The growth of sales value for export-oriented industries was in line with the double-digit growth registered in the external trade exports and price factors that remain favourable,” he said in a statement today.

On a month-on-month comparison, export and domestic-oriented industries recorded positive growth of 1.7 per cent and 10.6 per cent respectively.

Mohd Uzir added that the total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in October 2021 was 2.24 million persons, up 2.4 per cent from 2.188 million persons in October 2020, contributed by the electrical and electronic products (4.9 per cent), petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (1.6 per cent), and wood, furniture, paper products and printing (2.7 per cent).

The department also stated that salaries and wages paid amounted to RM7.52 billion, an increase of 4.4 per cent or RM317.3 million in October 2021 against the same month in the preceding year.

"Besides that, the sales value per employee rose 12.6 per cent to RM62,781 compared with the same month in 2020 (RM55,747),” it said.

Meanwhile, the average salaries and wages per employee was RM3,357 in October 2021.

The number of employees and salaries and wages recorded a growth of 2.4 per cent (2.24 million persons) and 2.6 per cent (RM74.2 billion) respectively. Sales value per employee for the first ten months of 2021 also grew 12.4 per cent to RM566,011. ― Bernama