Malaysia's coincident index, which gauges current economic conditions, fell 0.3% month over month in May to 131.2 points from 131.6 points in April, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia on Friday.
The reading missed the 0.5% growth forecast tracked by Trading Economics.
On an annual basis, the index rose 2.5% to 131.2 points from 128 points a year earlier.
The monthly decline reflected softer performance across several components, particularly capacity utilization in manufacturing, indicating a moderation in current economic activity amid ongoing global uncertainties.