KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed higher, buoyed by Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent, alongside positive cues from Wall Street. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 19.30 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 1,635.86 from Wednesday’s close of 1,616.56. The benchmark index opened 6.72 points higher at 1,623.28, and fluctuated between an intraday high of 1,642.44 and a low of 1,622.62 during the trading session. However, market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 723 to 497, while 466 counters were unchanged, 1,075 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover rose to 3.74 billion units valued at RM3.61 billion compared with yesterday’s 2.81 billion units valued at RM2.57 billion.
Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) just dropped a regulatory bombshell: effective immediately , any export, transhipment, or transit of high-performance AI chips of US origin will now require a Strategic Trade Permit . This policy is being implemented under Section 12 of the Strategic Trade Act 2010 (STA 2010) — a "Catch-All Control" that empowers the government to regulate items not yet listed but potentially at risk of misuse or diversion for sensitive applications. 🛑 In short: No AI chip leaves or passes through Malaysia without a green light. Why Now? This comes right on the heels of the US imposing a 25% reciprocal tariff on Malaysian exports , set to start Aug 1. With bilateral negotiations ongoing, Malaysia appears to be closing potential loopholes in export control enforcement, especially amid growing geopolitical scrutiny over AI chip flows. What MITI Said: “Malaysia stands firm a...