Malaysia's economy expanded by 5.8% in the second quarter of 2026, significantly outpacing market consensus and signaling robust underlying momentum.
The advance estimate, released on Thursday, marks a notable deviation from the projected deceleration that had been widely anticipated by economists.
However, the 5.8% figure exceeded the upper bound of forecasts, which had generally clustered between 4.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged the strong performance, expressing gratitude for the economic resilience during a public address in Nilai.
The Malaysian ringgit strengthened against the US dollar following the release, capitalizing on the positive surprise.
Currency markets had already priced in some optimism ahead of the data, with the ringgit opening higher on Wednesday on anticipation of a solid print.
However, the 5.8% figure exceeded the upper bound of forecasts, which had generally clustered between 4.8% and 5.0%.