KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's central bank kept its benchmark interest ​rate steady ⁠for the sixth straight policy meeting on Thursday, as expected, amid moderate inflation and ‌sustained economic growth.

Bank Negara Malaysia maintained its overnight policy rate at 2.75%, as had ​been forecast by all but one of 31 economists surveyed in a Reuters poll.

"Malaysia’s strong ​fundamentals will ​continue to underpin the economy’s resilience against external shocks," BNM said in a statement, saying it expected data to show resilient second-quarter growth due ⁠to domestic demand and stronger-than-expected exports.

Ongoing uncertainties surrounding the Middle East conflict and lower commodity production may affect the outlook, but household spending will likely remain supported by government policies, employment and wage growth, and continued investment activity, BNM said.

Economic ​growth in ‌2026 was expected ⁠to be within ⁠the central bank's forecast range of between 4% and 5%, BNM said, easing from 5.2% ​growth in 2025.

Gross domestic product rose a stronger-than-expected ‌5.4% in the first quarter from a year ⁠earlier as robust domestic demand offset shocks arising from the Middle East crisis.

Headline and core inflation averaged 1.7% and 2.1% respectively in the first five months of the year, broadly within expectations, BNM said.

Elevated commodity prices were expected to exert upward pressure on prices, but the impact on inflation was nevertheless projected to remain contained, it added. "At the current OPR level, the MPC considers the monetary policy stance to be appropriate and consistent with ‌the outlook of continued price stability and sustainable economic growth," ⁠BNM said, referring to its monetary policy committee.

A majority ​of economists polled by Reuters forecast no change to the policy rate for the rest of 2026, with just five of the 29 who provided forecasts expecting ​a 25-basis-point ‌hike to 3.00% by year-end.

The last change in the policy ⁠rate was a cut ​in July 2025.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by John Mair)