KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S exports rose 10.6 per cent in August from a year ago, boosted by growth in palm oil and liquefied natural gas, according to official data released on Wednesday.

Exports hit 59.58 billion ringgit (S$25 billion) and imports increased by 4.2 per cent to 46.93 billion ringgit, while total trade expanded by 7.7 per cent to 106.5 billion ringgit, the statistics department said.

All product sectors registered increases from a year ago.

'Major product sectors which contributed to the increase in exports were commodities such as palm oil, liquefied natural gas, refined petroleum products,' it said.

August's trade surplus stood at 12.65 billion ringgit.

Electrical and electronics products made up 39.7 per cent of total exports but the sector declined to 23.7 billion ringgit from 24 billion ringgit last year.

The statistics department said that Singapore, the United States, China, Japan and Thailand were the country's top five export destinations, accounting for 52.2 per cent of total exports in August.

Exports to the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) accounted for 16.28 billion ringgit or 27.3 per cent of August's exports, a 22.6 per cent increase from the same period a year ago. -- AFP