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.
Malaysia has just locked in RM63 billion (≈ US$13.4 billion) in chip‑sector investments as of March 2025—a record haul that signals the country’s coming‑of‑age as a serious semiconductor hub. Where the Money Comes From Foreign inflows dominate: RM58 billion (92%) arrives from overseas investors, while RM5 billion is local. Flagship projects: Carsem is building advanced packaging lines for energy‑efficient chips used in EVs and AI gear. Infineon is erecting the world’s largest 200 mm silicon‑carbide power‑chip fab . NXP, Syntiant and Plexus add sensor and manufacturing firepower. National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) at a Glance Launched in May 2024 , the three‑phase NSS packs RM25 billion in fiscal support to: Nurture local “champions” Grow integrated‑circuit (IC) design talent Expand advanced‑packaging capacity Strengthen equipment manufacturing capabilities. Home‑Grown Champions on the Rise Thirteen Malaysi...