[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia’s inflation rate rose 1.8 per cent year on year (yoy) in March, due to increasing prices of dining out, transport and household utilities, a Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) report indicated on Thursday (Apr 25).

The inflation growth in March remained at the same pace as the previous month, and below the forecast of 2 per cent by 20 economists in a recent Reuters poll.

Core inflation, meanwhile, rose by 1.7 per cent yoy, slower than the 1.8 per cent increase in February.