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.
Tariffs and Inflationary Pressures Adam Posen, President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, warns that the latest U.S. metal tariff increases will have direct inflationary effects. Enacted under Section 232 on national security grounds, the tariffs will make goods more expensive for both businesses and consumers. Even if companies absorb some of the costs instead of passing them fully through, the result will be squeezed profit margins. Posen stresses that steel flatware or other targeted items are not genuine security risks. By using emergency powers to impose tariffs, the administration bypasses congressional oversight and creates an unpredictable business environment. Governance and Market Uncertainty Beyond inflation, Posen points to a deeper governance problem. By declaring tariff actions under emergency powers, the executive branch sidesteps Congress’s constitutional role in setting tax and trade policy. This creates uncertainty both domestically and inte...