Malaysia’s leading economic index rose 0.8% month-on-month in April 2025, following a revised 0.1% increase in the previous month, marking the second consecutive monthly gain and the highest reading since last December. The improvement was supported by increases in non-ferrous metals (0.3% vs 0.2% in March) and expected manufacturing sales value (0.03% vs 0.1%), as well as rebounds in real imports of semiconductors (0.3% vs -0.02%) and new company registrations (0.5% vs -0.04%). In contrast, declines were recorded in the Bursa Malaysia Industrial Index (-0.1% vs -0.2%), housing unit approvals (-0.1% vs -0.1%), and real money supply (-0.1% vs 0.1%). On a year-on-year basis, the leading index grew 0.5%, although this marked a deceleration from an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in March. Meanwhile, the coincident index, which reflects current economic conditions, edged down 0.1%, following a 0.2% decline in March.