Malaysia's Dec CPI at 2.2pct yr/yr in line with expecations

* December CPI at 2.2 pct yr/yr as seen in Reuters poll

* Up 0.4 pct from previous month (non seasonally adjusted

* Full year 2010 CPI at 1.7 percent

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19(Reuters) - Malaysia's consumer price index (CPI)
in December rose by 2.2 percent from a year ago, bringing full-year
inflation to an average of 1.7 pct, as the Southeast Asian country looked set to
escape inflation woes hitting the rest of Asia thanks to the low relative
weighting of foodstuffs in its CPI basket and price controls.

The Statistics Department said on Wednesday the CPI in December was up/down
percent from November on a seasonally unadjusted basis.

The annual data was in line with the median forecast of 2.2
percent in a Reuters poll of 11 economists. November CPI rose by 2 percent.

A Reuters poll of 19 economists forecast 2011 inflation at 2.9 percent. See,

According to research from investment bank Credit Suisse, Malaysia is among
the least affected economies in Asia exluding Japan by rising global grain
prices, reflecting its subsidies for paddy, rice, sugar, flour and cooking oil.

MALAYSIA CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (base 2005)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

Dec Nov Oct Sept Aug July June May Apr Mar Feb Jan
yr/yr 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.8 2.1 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.3
mth/mth 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2

December

(percentage change year-on-year)

-----------

TOTAL 2.2

Food, non-alcoholic beverages 2.8

Alcoholic beverages, tobacco 6.5

Clothing,footwear -0.9

Housing, water, electricity, fuels 1.5

Furnishings, household equipment 0.7

Health 1.9

Transport 3.6

Communication 0.0

Recreation services, culture 0.0

Education 1.6

Restaurants, hotels 2.6

Miscellaneous goods/services 2.3

Weightings/contribution to the November CPI Components

Weightings Contribution

(in pct)
Food, non-alcoholic beverages 31.4 42.8
Alcoholic beverages 1.9 6.6
Clothing, footwear 3.1 -1.1
Housing, water, electricity, fuels 21.4 14.1
Furnishings, household equipment 4.3 1.3
Health 1.4 1.1
Transport 15.9 24.4
Communication 5.1 0.0
Recreation services, culture 4.6 -0.1
Education 1.9 1.3
Restaurants, hotels 3.0 3.6
Miscellaneous goods/services 6.0 6.0

(Reporting by David Chance; Editing by Niluksi Koswanage)