Kuala Lampur, July 23 -- KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 - Rising production costs continued to weigh on Malaysian Chinese businesses in the first half of 2026, with higher raw material prices and operating expenses emerging as the main challenges, according to the latest survey by the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM).

Lee Heng Guie, executive director of the Socio-Economic Research Centre (SERC), a think tank under ACCCIM, said higher raw material prices were cited by an overwhelming majority of respondents in the Malaysia's Business and Economic Conditions Survey (M-BECS).

By sector, the construction industry was the most affected, with 81.1 per cent of respondents citing higher raw material prices as a ...