Bank Negara Malaysia's latest monetary policy statement has shown that central headline inflation eased from 1.7% in January to 1.5% in February 2025, while core inflation, which excludes volatile items like fresh food, inched higher to 1.9% in February 2025 compared with 1.8% in January. Ahmad Mohd Ripin the Deputy Director, Monetary Policy Department of Bank Negara Malaysia explains the disconnect between official inflation figures and the public’s lived experience of rising costs.