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.
Asian markets advanced on Monday amid renewed optimism that the US government shutdown may soon end , boosting investor sentiment across the region. The MSCI Emerging Asia and Asia ex-Japan indices both rose over 1% , while a global emerging market gauge reached a two-week high . Gains were fueled by reports that the US Senate is preparing to vote on a short-term funding measure through January 2026, paired with full-year spending bills to reopen the government. “While the reopening restores critical services and eases uncertainty, the rebate plan’s feasibility remains dependent on congressional approval and tariff revenues,” said Tony Sycamore , market analyst at IG Australia. Regional Highlights: Indonesia’s benchmark index gained 1% , setting a new all-time high . Taiwan rose 1.2% , nearing its record peak from Nov 4. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 3.5% , recovering nearly al...