Malaysia's manufacturing activity continued to contract in September, albeit at a weaker pace.
The Nikkei manufacturing purchasing managers' index, a gauge of the country's factory activity, was at 48.6 in September versus 47.4 in August. A PMI reading below 50 indicates a contraction in manufacturing activity, while a reading above that signals an expansion.
The latest figure was the highest since January 2016 and greater than the average over the current 18-month sequence of readings below the 50.0 mark, according to the survey by IHS Markit released Friday.
