Malaysia's economy expanded by 6.3 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year, compared with a 4.4-percent growth for the same period in 2013, buoyed by steady recovery of the global economy, the government said Friday. In the second quarter, the economy was 6.4 percent higher than a year earlier. The March-June quarter in 2013 showed economic growth of 4.5 percent compared to the year before that. "Exports and private sector activity remained the key drivers of growth during the quarter," dpa quoted Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank, as saying. "Private investment continued to register double-digit growth, expanding by 12.1 percent, reflecting investments in the services and manufacturing sectors," it added. Bank Negara said that while it expects the growth of the export sector to moderate slightly in the second half of the year, it expects private sector activity to remain a key driver.
