KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Malaysia’s wholesale and retail trade recorded a monthly sales value of RM138.0 billion, growing 6.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in May 2023, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the increase is attributed to the motor vehicles sub-sector, which surged 22.0 per cent or RM3.1 billion to register RM17.0 billion.
“Retail trade also expanded by 5.0 per cent or RM2.8 billion to RM58.8 billion, followed by wholesale trade with an increase of 4.4 per cent or RM2.6 billion to RM62.2 billion,” he said in a statement today.
For month-on-month (m-o-m) comparison, wholesale and retail trade sales rebounded 1.5 per cent, contributed by the motor vehicles and wholesale trade sub-sectors at 16.2 per cent and 2.1 per cent, respectively.
He said the performance across sub-sectors, the double-digit growth of 22.0 per cent in the motor vehicles sub-sector this month was pushed up by sales of motor vehicles which jumped 29.8 per cent or RM2.1 billion to RM8.9 billion.
This was followed by sales of motor vehicles parts and accessories, as well as the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, which climbed 17.7 per cent and 20.4 per cent respectively.
However, sales, maintenance and repair of motorcycles decreased by 5.0 per cent.
For monthly comparison, this sub-sector bounced back 16.2 per cent, contributed by all groups, mainly sales of motor vehicles with 30.8 per cent.
Mohd Uzir said the volume index of wholesale and retail trade for May registered a y-o-y growth of 4.7 per cent driven by expansion in all sub-sectors namely motor vehicles (17.8 per cent), wholesale trade (5.3 per cent) and retail trade (2.4 per cent).
The seasonally adjusted volume index declined -4.1 per cent m-o-m.
— Bernama
