The country's manufacturing sector rebounded in February on a monthly basis, a trend which economists say should help the country's economy grow by at least six percent in 2004.

The country's industrial output rose 11.1 percent in February from a year earlier, but was down 0.1 percent from the previous month, the Statistics Department said Thursday.

The manufacturing sector grew 11.9 percent on year and 2.7 percent from the previous month, it said.

The mining sector was up 6.4 percent on year while electricity sector grew 10.4 percent. Compared with January, the mining and electricity sectors contracted 10.6 percent and 7.6 percent respectively.

Strong global demand

"(Malaysia's GDP) will rise at least in the first half of 2004 due to expected strong global demand for electronic and electrical products," Wan Suhaimi Saidi, an economist with local brokerage AmSecurities, told AFP, adding the economy would expand by at least six percent.

Malaysia has forecast 6.0-6.5 percent gross domestic product growth for

In January, the industrial production index (IPI) rose 16.7 percent year-on-year but was down 4.2 percent month-on-month, the Statistics Department said.

For first two months of the year, the IPI expanded 14.6 percent year-on-year, with the manufacturing sector up 14.6 percent, electricity sector up 7.4 percent and mining sector up 6.3 percent. - AFP