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.
With Washington hinting at punitive semiconductor tariffs as high as 200%-300% , uncertainty is clouding the global chip supply chain. A week after Trump’s announcement, the final scope and exemption details remain unclear, leaving investors to weigh potential winners and losers. Policy Contrast: Subsidies vs. Tariffs Biden era: Focused on subsidies and incentives via the CHIPS Act to encourage “Made in America.” Trump era: Favors penalizing offshore manufacturing through tariffs to force reshoring. While both approaches share the same end goal — strengthening US semiconductor competitiveness — the cost and execution dynamics diverge sharply. Key Mechanics: Who Pays? Origin rules matter: For integrated circuits, the front-end wafer fabrication sets country of origin. Back-end packaging (CoWoS, 2.5D, 3D) rarely shifts this classification. US-made wafers shipped abroad: If Section 9802 treatment appl...