Malaysia’s consumer price index rose 3.2 percent in January from a year earlier, its highest since February last year, government data showed today.

The figure was above the 2.8 percent growth forecast in a Reuters poll, and above the 1.8 percent rise in December.

January’s inflation rate was driven by higher prices of food and housing, utilities and transport costs, data from the Statistics Department showed.

Annual inflation reached a seven-year peak of 4.2 percent in February 2016, before moderating as the effects of the Goods and Services Tax imposed in April 2015 faded.

Malaysia’s government said in October it expected inflation to remain between 2 and 3 percent in 2017.

- Reuters