KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 ― The manufacturing sector sales value declined by two per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM145 billion in April 2023, the lowest since May 2020, said the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DoSM).

DoSM said the decline was influenced mainly by the deterioration in food, beverages and tobacco (12.7 per cent); transport equipment and other manufactures (4.9 per cent); and petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastics (3.1 per cent) sub-sectors.

"In comparison with the previous month, the sales value returned to a decline with negative 7.2 per cent against an increase of 7.6 per cent registered in March 2023,” it said.

According to the department, the sales value of export-oriented industries which accounted for 71.5 per cent of total sales recorded a decrease of 3.4 per cent in April 2023 after registering positive momentum since May 2020.

"The contraction was weighed down mainly by the manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats (-23.2 per cent); manufacture of rubber products (-14.2 per cent); and manufacture of plastics products (-7.1 per cent) industries.

"Nonetheless, the domestic-oriented industries maintained a positive trend with a growth of 1.6 per cent in April 2023 y-o-y, primarily underpinned by the manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment (5.5 per cent); manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products (4.6 per cent); and the manufacture of food processing products (3.4 per cent) industries.

"In comparison with the previous month, both export and domestic-oriented industries lessened by 7.2 per cent,” it added.

Meanwhile, DoSM highlighted a total of 2.35 million persons engaged in the manufacturing sector in April 2023, which increased by 2.5 per cent against 2.29 million persons registered a year ago.

"The increase was supported mainly by the food, beverages and tobacco products (5.6 per cent); electrical and electronic products (4.2 per cent); and wood, furniture, paper products and printing (2.7 per cent) sub-sectors.

"Compared to the preceding month, the number of employees in this sector edged down by 0.1 per cent,” said the department.

In tandem with the increase in employees, DoSM said the salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector went up by 3.9 per cent y-o-y, amounting to RM8.02 billion in April.

The average monthly salaries and wages per employee in April were higher by 1.4 per cent y-o-y at RM3,413 while the sales value per employee decreased by 4.4 per cent y-o-y to RM61,716, it said. ― Bernama