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.
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) may lose its outright majority in the lower house of Parliament for the first time since 2009, according to forecasts by major Japanese media outlets. While the LDP is expected to retain control of the chamber with the help of its coalition partner Komeito , predictions suggest the party will fall short of the 233 seats needed for a majority in the Oct 27 election . The Mainichi newspaper forecast that the LDP could win between 203 and 250 seats , while Komeito is expected to secure 24 to 29 seats , down from its current 32. The Yomiuri newspaper predicted the coalition would still achieve a majority, despite around 120 LDP candidates being involved in close races. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba , who took over as LDP leader last month, has set the goal of achieving a majority with Komeito’s support. Public support for the LDP has dwindled following scandals involving party members allegedly profiting from funds raised from supporter...