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.
Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Siregar Abdullah said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is set to announce the revisions to Budget 2016 on January 28. He assured the press and the public that the government will not cut the salaries of two million civil servants in the tweaks. "The prime minister will announce the revised budget on January 28... let’s wait for his announcement to see what the details are," he said at the launch of the World Bank's office in Kuala Lumpur today. The revision was necessary as the current economic climate had changed significantly from when the Budget 2016 was tabled. Back then, the oil was $48 per barrel but the oil price has now fallen to below US$33 per barrel. The Ringgit has also weakened compared to back then.