Malaysia's trade surplus in January declined 1.59 percent to RM9.28 billion (RM2.5 billion) from RM9.43 billion in December, the government said today.

However, exports for January were 11.7 percent higher compared to a year earlier, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) said in a statement.

Malaysia also recorded the highest ever export value for the month of January at RM43.6 billion, although this was 11.9 percent lower than December.

The fall was "due to the reduced number of working days arising from the Chinese New Year festivities," said the ministry, referring to an extended public holiday period.

Palm oil, electrical and electronic products, crude petroleum and wood products were among exports that were lower in January compared to December.

Increases were recorded in exports of liquefied natural gas and refined petroleum products.

Major export destinations included Southeast Asian countries, the United States, the European Union, Japan, China and Hong Kong, which collectively accounted for some 78.6 percent of total January exports.