7. Malaysian inflation reaches 2.3 percent in November 2007

Malaysia's annual inflation rate in November was 2.3 percent compared with 1.9 percent in October, official data showed Wednesday.

For the first 11 months of the year, the consumer price index rose 2.0 percent from a year earlier driven by food, transport and housing, the Statistics Department said.

Malaysia's central bank has forecast inflation would remain between 2.0 to 2.5 percent for the year. It has kept its key interest rate unchanged at 3.50 percent.

Inflation reached 3.6 percent last year due to high global oil prices.

Agence France-Presse - 12/19/2007