Malaysia’s consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.4 per cent annually in February as fuel prices fell, said the country’s statistics department yesterday, reports Xinhua from Kuala Lumpur.

Its chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a statement, the inflation in February was mainly driven by higher food and non-alcoholic beverages index,

which was up 3 per cent year-on-year.

“The overall index was also affected by the drop in the transport group by 0.3 per cent in February,” he added.

Other major groups that posted increases in February were furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (2.1 per cent), health (2.1 per cent), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (2 per cent) and restaurants and hotels (1.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, the CPI for the period January to February recorded an increase of 2 per cent as compared to the same month last year.