KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
The Auditor General's (AG) Report revealed that 3,942 projects , or 45.9% of the 8,593 development projects under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) , were in progress as of Aug 26, 2024 . However, 169 of these projects are experiencing delays or difficulties. According to the AG’s Report 3/2024 on the federal government’s 2023 financial statements, which was presented in Parliament, 1,434 projects have reached the post-implementation stage, 3,085 projects are still in the pre-implementation phase, and 132 projects have been either cancelled or are under review. To ensure the completion of these projects by 2025 , the AG recommended more rigorous monitoring and immediate interventions . The performance of 12MP projects will be fully assessed at the plan's end in 2025, with the government emphasizing improved efficiency and monitoring under the Mid-Term Review of the 12MP , presented in September 2023. From 2021 to 2023, the expenditure on 12MP projects amounted to RM231.92 ...