Malaysia's leading index, which anticipates economic direction in the near term, ticked up 1.25% month over month in April, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia on Thursday.
The pace of growth exceeded the Trading Economics forecast of a 0.1% growth.
On an annual basis, the index grew 1.29%.
The monthly increase was supported by the number of new companies registered and the real imports of semiconductors, each contributing 0.9% amid sustained demand for electrical and electronics sector.