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 technology and construction sectors came under selling pressure on Monday morning following reports of a draft US policy that could restrict the export of AI chips to Malaysia and Thailand. The proposed regulation, not yet finalised, aims to curb potential re-exports of advanced chips to China via third-party countries, intensifying concerns around global supply chain disruption. Key Market Reactions: Inari Amertron Bhd (INARI) fell 5.8% to RM1.96 , reflecting investor concerns over its role in the global semiconductor value chain. Gamuda Bhd (GAMUDA) declined 5.2% to RM4.83 , with potential implications for its data centre-related construction contracts. The FBM KLCI dropped nearly 1% , down 15 points, signalling broader market caution. Background & Policy Risk: According to Bloomberg, the US Commerce Department is working on a draft rule to block AI chip shipments to Malaysia and Thailand as part of efforts to tighten control on...