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.
Kenanga IB Predicts Higher Development Expenditure in Budget 2025 to Boost Infrastructure and Economic Growth
Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd (Kenanga IB) anticipates the Malaysian government to increase its development expenditure (DE) to RM94.5 billion in Budget 2025 , up from RM88.5 billion in 2024. This rise is expected to enhance infrastructure projects such as the revival of the Mass Rapid Transit 3 (MRT3) and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (KL-SG HSR) . Kenanga IB highlighted that in addition to transport, other key DE spending will likely focus on agriculture, education, healthcare, affordable housing, and national security , amid increasing regional tensions. On the operating expenditure (OE) front, Kenanga IB projects a rise to RM306.5 billion , despite the expected removal of the RON95 blanket fuel subsidy in the second half of 2025. Savings from this move could be redirected towards targeted assistance, civil servant salary increases, and progressive wage policies . The government's revenue is expected to rebound by 4.3% to RM316.5 billion in 2025, driven by reven...