Malaysia's October exports rise 1.6% y/y,  close to forecast

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Malaysia's exports rose 1.6% in October from a year earlier, close to market expectations, government data showed on Tuesday. Exports had been forecast to grow 1.7%, according to a Reuters poll of economists. Imports in October grew 2.6% from a year earlier, data from the trade ministry showed, weaker than the 4% increase analysts had forecast in the poll. Malaysia recorded a trade surplus of 11.98 billion ringgit ($2.68 billion) in October, above the poll forecast of an 10.4 billion ringgit surplus. ($1 = 4.4650 ringgit) (Reporting by Kuala Lumpur newsroom; Editing by John Mair)