The government's intervention through subsidies and price control has helped to rein in inflation in Malaysia wherein the country could have registered a higher inflation rate than the 4.4 percent headline inflation in July, economic experts said.

Deputy vice chancellor of research and graduate studies at i-CATS University College Professor Shazali Abu Mansor said many essential items listed in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket such as chicken, eggs, sugar, rice (selected types), and cooking oil are either subsidised or controlled items via price ceiling measure.

“Most of the daily necessities are...