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.
Malaysia has formally ratified the UK's accession into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) , marking a significant milestone as the country’s first bilateral free trade agreement with the UK . Malaysia joins other member countries including Japan , Singapore , Chile , New Zealand , Vietnam , and Peru in completing the necessary in-country ratification for the UK to join the trade bloc. With the UK’s inclusion, the CPTPP will represent 15% of global economic output . "We are pleased to welcome the UK into the CPTPP family ," said Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz , Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry. He highlighted that the agreement would grant better access for Malaysian exports to the UK, particularly benefiting products such as palm oil , cocoa , rubber , electronics , chemicals , and machinery . With the agreement expected to enter into force by end-2024 , Malaysian exports to the UK will benefit...