Business activity slowed down markedly in the first half (H1) of 2021 as the tightening of Covid-19 lockdowns put further strains on the manufacturing sector, according to a biannual industry survey.

In the business conditions survey jointly conducted by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) and the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), more than half (54 percent) of the 687 respondents nationwide reported a drop in their business activity in that period, up from 37 percent in the second half (H2) of 2020.

“The general business activity index...