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.
The United States launched its third crackdown on China’s semiconductor sector in three years, introducing new export restrictions on 140 companies . This latest effort, announced Monday, aims to curb Beijing's chipmaking ambitions , citing concerns about advancing AI for military use and threatening US national security . Key Highlights New Export Restrictions Targeted Companies : Chinese semiconductor toolmakers, including Naura Technology Group , Piotech , ACM Research , and SiCarrier Technology , face export restrictions. Companies like Swaysure Technology Co. , Si'En Qingdao , and Shenzhen Pensun Technology , which collaborate with Huawei Technologies , have also been added to the Entity List . Advanced Technology Curbs : Restrictions include high-bandwidth memory chips (HBM) critical for AI training and chipmaking tools produced globally by companies in countries like Singapore and Malaysia. US Allies : The rule also impacts non-US firms such as ASM International (Ne...