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.
Several Chinese companies are in discussions with Malaysian authorities regarding potential investments in Perlis, particularly in the Chuping area near Padang Besar, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Board’s ( MIDA ) Kedah and Perlis director, Mohd Rushdan Mohd Ghazali . The proposed investments are expected to focus on the electric vehicle (EV) industry. "These potential new investments in Perlis may take time. We cannot estimate when Perlis will receive the investments because it is still in negotiations," Mohd Rushdan mentioned during a MIDA dialogue session with the Perlis Tiong Hwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry . He noted that the Chuping Valley Industrial Area is centered around four key clusters: the green industry, halal industry (including pharmaceuticals), EVs, and renewable energy . Additionally, Mohd Rushdan highlighted that many companies, particularly from China, are also looking at Kulim and Sungai Petani in Kedah for investments in the...