Manufacturing Sales Reach RM185 Billion as August IPI Rises 5%: What Factory Users Should Check

August’s production and sales figures are different measures

DOSM’s 9 October release reports the Industrial Production Index (IPI) up 5.0% year on year in August 2026. Manufacturing output within the index was up 7.4%. Separately, the manufacturing sector’s sales value was RM185.0 billion, up 9.9% year on year.

The IPI report measures production through an index; the monthly manufacturing release reports sales value in ringgit. Do not combine those percentages as if they measured the same thing.

Read IPI as output movement, not a property count

The national IPI is a production index with a base of 2015=100. Its 5.0% year-on-year change compares the August index with August 2025; it does not say the market added 5% more factory floor area. Manufacturing output grew 7.4%, while mining declined 7.4% and electricity generation rose 9.0% in the same release.

For a company, use its own production schedule, capacity utilisation, confirmed orders and equipment needs to estimate space. A national index cannot tell you whether your line, shift pattern or building footprint will change.

RM185 billion is sector sales value, not rent or output volume

DOSM says manufacturing sales value in August reached RM185.0 billion, up 9.9% year on year and 4.3% month on month. E&E sales grew 22.6%; petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products grew 5.2%; food, beverages and tobacco grew 0.3%.

Sales value can move differently from physical output or an individual company’s space requirement. It does not show how much floor area is occupied, which buildings are available or what a factory lease costs.

Export-oriented and domestic industries diverged

DOSM reports export-oriented industries made up 73.6% of sales and rose 12.1% year on year in August. Domestic-oriented industries rose 4.4%. These national groupings show that performance was not uniform across all manufacturing activity.

Use the split to ask which customer and product lines matter to your business, not to assume that an E&E-led trend applies to every supplier or industrial park. Confirm actual orders and production needs with your operations team.

August figures are provisional

DOSM marks August IPI and manufacturing data as provisional, with updates to be published alongside September data. As of 2 November, OpenDOSM says its manufacturing dashboard data are through August and lists 10 November 2026 as the next update.

Check the OpenDOSM dashboard and the next DOSM release before relying on a revised series. A later statistical update may change the published number; it will still remain a national indicator rather than a property forecast.

Turn your own production plan into site checks

List the equipment and output you actually expect, order visibility, inventory space, loading movements, clear height, floor loading, power and water needs, and the move-in date. Compare committed plans with a slower scenario. Ask a qualified engineer and utility provider to confirm capacity at the exact building.

For orientation, compare the Shah Alam / Glenmarie and Port Klang / Pulau Indah guides. They do not establish a lot’s permitted use, current services or availability.

Compare lease and purchase costs for your operation

For a lease, check permitted use, fit-out consent, utility upgrade responsibility, rent-review language, outgoings, reinstatement and break rights. For a purchase, review title and use, approved plans, physical condition, financing and the cost of any upgrades. Compare the total cost over your real operating horizon instead of using national manufacturing growth as a substitute.

Use Shah Alam sale searches and Shah Alam rental searches as starting points only. Confirm current listing availability and documents directly.

Prepare a factory requirement brief

Share your product, process, headcount, confirmed expansion plan, target move date, power requirement, floor loading, loading-bay needs and preferred tenure. An agent can help shortlist property options; DOSM statistics do not replace technical, legal or financial review.

Use the buy enquiry form or rent enquiry form. You can also message Adam or Yuki. WhatsApp opens a prefilled message; it does not send automatically.

Common questions.