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.
At least US$1 billion worth of banned Nvidia AI chips have reportedly made their way into China through unauthorized channels in the months following tighter U.S. export restrictions, according to the Financial Times . The smuggled chips include high-end B200 processors , which are barred from sale in China under U.S. national security controls. Key Highlights: Banned but available : Despite restrictions, Nvidia’s B200, H100, and H200 chips are widely available in China’s gray market , with multiple distributors from Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces involved. Black market surge : The chips reportedly surfaced in May and were sold to data center suppliers serving Chinese AI firms , even as U.S. policy aimed to cut China off from advanced AI hardware. Southeast Asia's role : Countries in Southeast Asia , including Thailand , have become key transit points for these restricted chips, according...