KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's Industrial Production Index (IPI) in June rose by 3.7 per cent compared to the same month last year, says the Statistics Department.

The uptrend in May 2012 was due to a rise in the manufacturing (4.8 per cent) and electricity (5.9 per cent) index, the department said in a statement today.

However, it said, the mining index registered a marginal decrease of 0.3 per cent.

On a monthly basis, the IPI was down by 1.9 per cent, due to a fall in the manufacturing and mining indices of 0.4 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively.

"Meanwhile, the electricity index registered an increase of 0.5 per cent," the department said.

It also said the manufacturing output in May 2012 recorded a growth of 4.8 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

The May output advanced by 6.7 per cent against the same month of 2011, it added.

The increase in manufacturing output in May was reflected by an improvement in the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastics products groups (8.2 per cent), non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (5.0 per cent), and transport equipment and other manufacturers (13.8 per cent).

The mining sector output declined 0.3 per cent in June as compared with the same month in 2011, due to the weaker natural gas index (9.6 per cent) although the crude oil index increased by 5.1 per cent.

Compared with the preceding month, the mining output slipped by 1.1 per cent.

For electricity, the output increased by 5.9 per cent in the month reviewed as compared with a year earlier, the department said, adding, the sector improved 0.5 per cent as compared with April 2012.