Kuala Lumpur:The sales value of Malaysia's manufacturing sector saw a 9.9% increase year-on-year in August 2026, reaching RM185.0 billion, surpassing the 9.1% growth recorded in July 2026.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) attributed this growth primarily to the electrical and electronic equipment subsector, which experienced a notable rise of 22.6%. The petroleum, chemical, rubber, and plastic products subsector also contributed with a 5.2% increase, while the growth in the food, beverages, and tobacco products subsector slowed to 0.3% from 3.9% in the previous month.

On a month-on-month basis, the sales value improved by 4.3% from RM177.3 billion in July 2026. Export-oriented industries, accounting for 73.6% of total sales, grew by 12.1% year-on-year, driven by a 24.9% increase in the manufacture of computer, electronic, and optical products.

The manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products saw an 8.3% increase, while the manufacture of furniture rose by 8.4%. Compared to July 2026, the sales value of export-oriented industries increased by 2.4%.

Domestic-oriented industries, however, experienced a slower growth rate of 4.4% in August 2026 compared to 7.2% in the previous month. This sector's performance was supported by a 13.1% increase in the manufacture of basic metals and a 6.9% growth in food processing products.

Month-on-month, sales in domestic-oriented industries decreased by 0.9%. The manufacturing sector employed 2.4 million people in August 2026, marking a 1.2% year-on-year increase, driven by employment growth in the food, beverages, and tobacco subsector, among others.

For the first eight months of 2026, the cumulative sales value reached RM1.39 trillion, reflecting a 7.9% increase.