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.
In a bid to tackle America’s deepening housing affordability crisis, President Donald Trump has floated a bold idea — a 50-year mortgage . The pitch? Lower monthly payments for homebuyers already squeezed by high rates and record prices. But within days, the proposal is losing momentum , as housing experts warn it could backfire — costing homeowners far more in the long run and doing little to solve the real problem: a lack of affordable housing supply . Key Takeaways 1. Lower payments, higher total costs Yes, a 50-year mortgage means smaller monthly payments. But here’s the catch: it massively increases total interest paid . According to the National Association of Realtors’ chief economist Lawrence Yun , for a US$420,000 loan , borrowers would save US$236 a month , but pay an extra US$360,000 in interest over the loan’s lifetime — pushing the total cost above US$1.1 million . That means homeowner...