Malaysia industry loan growth slows to 4.7% in January

Lending for commercial complexes shrunk for the 14th straight month.

Malaysia’s industry loan growth slowed in January 2026 to 4.7% year-on-year (YoY), compared to the 4.8% YoY growth for the whole of 2025.

Construction lending rose to 7% YoY, expanding from the 6.6% YoY growth in-end December 2025, Maybank Kim Eng noted in a report.

Working capital loan growth is 1.1% YoY, slowing down from 2% a month earlier.

In the commercial property financing space, lending for industrial buildings and factories expanded to a 12.2% YoY growth in end-January, from an 11.6% YoY growth in December.

In contrast, loan growth for the purchase of land slowed to a 9.6% YoY growth from 11.4% YoY a month earlier.

Lending for commercial complexes shrunk for the 14th consecutive month, at -8.3% YoY, extending the -8.8% YoY contraction by end-2025.