KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark index ended higher, amid an overall cautious market sentiment, on bargain-hunting activities, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) advanced 12.87 points or 0.85 per cent to the day’s high of 1,526.52 from Friday’s close of 1,513.65. The benchmark index had opened 3.49 points higher at 1,517.14 and reached an intraday low of 1,514.08. In the broader market, decliners thumped gainers 637 to 288, while 428 counters were unchanged, 995 untraded and nine suspended. Turnover went up to 2.37 billion units valued at RM2.03 billion from Friday’s 2.25 billion units valued at RM2.13 billion. The market was closed on March 31 and April 1 for the Hari Raya public holidays.
Abu Dhabi's state-owned International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC) said it would make a US$50.3 million interest payment to holders of notes issued by Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), but only after 1MDB defaults on its payments.
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IPIC guarantees the bond.
The coupon on the US$1.75 billion bond was due on April 18, but terms of the bond gave a five-day period of grace for the payment, which ends Monday.
The Abu Dhabi fund said neither 1MDB Energy (Langat) nor 1MDB have made the payment so far. It said the guarantee has not been called upon yet.
"As at the time of this announcement, IPIC is not aware of the Guarantee being called upon. IPIC has always honoured its obligations arising from any agreements it has entered in to and will continue to do so," it said in the statement.
It was not clear whether a default had already occurred. 1MDB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
IPIC said a 1MDB default would not mean a cross-default by IPIC on its own debts.
While the interest on the bond was widely expected to be paid, the stand-off between the two state firms, who are locked in a wider dispute, has worried markets and left bondholders waiting on the payment that was due on Monday.
The Malaysian state investor said the interest was owed by IPIC following an agreement struck on June 4, 2015.
But IPIC called off the deal earlier this month, saying 1MDB and its sole shareholder, Malaysia's Ministry of Finance, had failed to meet their obligations, including the full payment of US$1.1 billion plus interest and that they were now in default.
1MDB's 4.4% US$3 billion 2023 < MY090717251=> was still trading steady in the low 90s. The 5.99% US$1.75 billion 2022 is at 99.5/100.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak heads the advisory board of 1MDB, which is at the centre of a multi-billion dollar corruption scandal. Money-laundering investigations concerning the fund are now underway in at least six countries including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore.
Source: Reuters
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