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.
Australia has failed in its bid to secure an exemption from U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs , despite extensive lobbying from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government . This decision has strained relations between the two long-time allies. Key Points: Tariff Decision : White House spokesperson Kush Desai confirmed that the tariffs will go into effect at midnight on Wednesday , with no exemptions for any U.S. trading partners, including Australia. Australian Reaction : Prime Minister Albanese expressed disappointment, calling the move "entirely unjustified" and an act of "economic self-harm" by the U.S. However, he added that Australia would not retaliate with any reciprocal measures . Historical Context : In previous years, Australia successfully negotiated for an exemption from similar tariffs under the Trump administration . However, this time, the deal seems much harder to ...