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.
China-Taiwan Tensions Escalate Over Semiconductor Industry China claims Taiwan is giving away its semiconductor industry to the U.S. in exchange for political support. Reports suggest Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is in talks for a stake in Intel, though neither company has confirmed this. Taiwan’s government denies knowledge of any overseas investment application from TSMC. U.S. and Taiwan's Semiconductor Dispute President Donald Trump has criticized Taiwan for taking U.S. semiconductor business and has pushed for more domestic chip production. China's Taiwan Affairs Office accused Taiwan's ruling party (DPP) of 'selling out' TSMC to gain favor with the U.S. Beijing claims Taiwan is using its chip industry as leverage for political independence. Taiwan Responds to China's Allegations Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council reaffirmed TSMC’s importance and vowed to collaborate with the industry to maintain leadership in advanced techno...