The Central Bank of Malaysia is scheduled to conclude its monetary policy meeting on Wednesday, following which it will announce its decision regarding interest rates. This decision is set against a relatively quiet backdrop for economic activity in the Asia-Pacific region. It is anticipated that the bank will maintain its benchmark lending rate at 3.00 percent.
In addition, Malaysia is expected to release its consumer price index figures for December. In the previous month, November, inflation decreased by 0.1 percent compared to the previous month and increased by 1.8 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, Taiwan plans to announce its unemployment data for December. The unemployment rate stood at 3.41 percent in November.
New Zealand is also poised to share its fourth-quarter consumer price index figures. Projections indicate a 0.5 percent rise on a quarterly basis and a 2.1 percent increase on a yearly basis, a slight easing from the third quarter's respective increases of 0.6 percent on the quarter and 2.2 percent on the year.
