KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia has decided to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 1.75 per cent.
In a statement today, the central bank said the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) considered the current stance of monetary policy to be appropriate and accommodative.
"Fiscal and financial measures will continue to cushion the economic impact on businesses and households and provide support to economic activity.
"The stance of monetary policy will continue to be determined by new data and their implications on the overall outlook for inflation and domestic growth," it said.
Bank Negara said the global economy continued to recover, supported by manufacturing and trade activity.
It said labour market conditions had also improved in many countries.
However, Bank Negara said several countries reintroduced measures to curb ongoing Covid-19 resurgences, causing some moderation in the pace of recovery in domestic activity, especially services.
It added that inflation remained elevated in a number of countries, driven by both supply and demand factors.
"Going forward, continued progress in vaccination coverage, advancements in vaccine efficacy, and the availability of anti-viral treatments will allow for better management of the pandemic, hence supporting global growth prospects.
"The global growth outlook will continue to be affected by uncertainties over the emergence of new variants of concern, risks of prolonged global supply disruptions, and risks of heightened financial market volatility amid adjustments in monetary policy in major economies," it said.
For Malaysia, Bank Negara said the latest high-frequency indicators showed that economic activity rebounded in the fourth quarter, in line with the relaxation of containment measures.
It said for 2021, growth would be within the projected range of three to four per cent.
"Looking ahead, growth is expected to gain further momentum in 2022.
"This will be driven by the expansion in global demand and higher private sector expenditure amid improvements in the labour market and continued policy support.
"Risks to the growth outlook, however, remain tilted to the downside.
"Such risks may arise from a weaker-than-expected global growth, a worsening in supply chain disruptions, and the emergence of severe and vaccine-resistant Covid-19 variants of concern," it said.
Meanwhile, Bank Negara said headline inflation had averaged 2.3 per cent for the period January-November 2021.
It said for 2022, average headline inflation was likely to remain moderate as the base effect from fuel inflation dissipates.
"Underlying inflation, as measured by core inflation, is expected to edge upwards as economic activity normalises amid the environment of high input costs.
"Nevertheless, core inflation is expected to be modest, with upside risk contained by the continued slack in the economy and labour market.
"The outlook, however, continues to be subject to global commodity price developments amid risks from prolonged supply-related disruptions," it added.