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.
Malaysia’s semiconductor sector may face short-term headwinds as renewed US-China trade tensions threaten to disrupt global supply chains, MBSB Research warned in a note on Thursday. The firm highlighted that China’s new export restrictions on rare earth elements (REE) and battery technologies , combined with the US’ 100% tariff on Chinese imports , could delay the production of advanced chips and equipment, impacting global and local manufacturers. “Malaysia, being part of the global semiconductor supply chain, may experience spillover effects,” MBSB said, citing potential disruptions to EV and chip components. Impact on Malaysia REE exports fell 9.6% year-on-year to RM4.5 billion in 9M2025 amid weaker demand from China, Thailand, and Japan. REE-related products make up only 0.4% of Malaysia’s total exports , but account for 6.8% of mining exports . Higher input costs and delivery delays could affect Malaysia’s...