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.
A survey conducted by Manulife revealed that 70% of Malaysians believe their current employee benefits, particularly in health and retirement, are insufficient to meet future financial and medical needs. This reflects growing concerns over the ability to cover rising healthcare costs and achieve adequate retirement savings . The Manulife Asia Care Survey 2024 , which surveyed 1,038 local consumers , highlighted that a significant portion of Malaysians feels financially unprepared for the future, with 66% of respondents indicating plans to delay retirement due to ongoing financial responsibilities. Additionally, 40% of respondents said they do not expect their children to support them financially in old age, while 49% of Malaysian couples surveyed do not plan to have children. In response to these concerns, Manulife Malaysia introduced the Manulife Future Shield , a comprehensive health protection plan aimed at Malaysians aged 45 to 55 years old . This plan provides whole life...