KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 16): Malaysia's consumer price index likely rose 1.9% from a year earlier in December, a slight uptick from the previous month's pace, a Reuters poll showed.

In November, the annual inflation rate increased to 1.8% in November, from 1.4% the previous month, due to higher food and household expenses.

Annual inflation reached a seven-year peak of 4.2% in February 2016, but then moderated as the effects of a goods and services tax imposed in April 2015 faded.

Malaysia's central bank said in November that annual inflation moderated to 1.3% in the third quarter.