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.
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...