The country has recovered from the economic crisis, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

He said the gross domestic product grew by 4.5% in the fourth quarter of last year, a better result than expected.

He added that the economy was expected to see strong growth this year. Asked if the worst was over for the Malaysian economy, Najib said: "Yes."

The other developments yesterday were:

• The economy contracted by 1.7% for the whole of last year but this was also lower than the projected 3% contraction.
• The construction sector grew at the fastest pace in the fourth quarter, followed by the agricultural sector.
• The news came as a surprise for economists who were expecting an average growth of 3.2% for Q4 of 2009.