Electricity demand is expected to firm up in the second half of this year, benefiting from the rollout of projects under the 10th Malaysia Plan and the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), said MIDF Research.

The research firm said power demand growth is forecast at 4.8 per cent for this year.

In the first half of this year, MIDF said , Tenaga Nasional Bhd's electricity demand grew 3.5 per cent year-on-year in Peninsular Malaysia driven by the commercial and domestic sectors.

However, electricity demand in the second quarter was slower due to the festive season holidays such as Christmas and Chinese New Year, it said in a statement.

HwangDBS Vickers Research is retaining its five per cent demand growth forecast for this year which is in line with the gross domestic product (GDP) growth and management guidance. -- Bernama