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.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver Singapore Budget 2026 on February 12 at 3:30 PM , marking the first Budget under the 15th Parliament. If Budget 2025 focused on recovery, Budget 2026 signals a pivot toward high-quality, sustainable growth. Macro Backdrop: Strong Surplus, Stronger Leverage After a resilient 2025: GDP growth: 4.8% (advance estimate) Operating revenue: S$98.5B (first 9 months) Corporate tax: +11.6% YoY Key point: Singapore enters Budget 2026 with meaningful fiscal surplus and policy flexibility. This “dry powder” gives policymakers room to: Cushion cost-of-living pressures Accelerate green and digital transformation Strengthen long-term competitiveness 1️⃣ Cost-of-Living Relief — But Targeted Markets expect: Continued utilities and transport subsidies SME rebates for rentals and utilities Extension of transfer schemes However, broad stimulus is unlikely. Relief will be precise, not expansionary — balancin...