KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 14): Standard Chartered Global Research estimates Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the third quarter of 2019 (3Q19) to ease to 4.4% from 6.2% in the same quarter last year due to a high base effect.

Despite a healthy labour market, it said there were signs that it was softening, including the 1.9% year-on-year (y-o-y) employment growth’s three-month moving average in August versus 2.6% a year ago, and the job vacancies-to-unemployed persons ratio falling to 0.89 in 3Q19 — the lowest in three years.