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 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...