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.
Macquarie Equity Research has identified Malaysia as a leading market for data centre growth in Asean, emphasizing the country’s strong potential due to an upcoming, improved renewable energy scheme. The new Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS), expected in September, aims to resolve bottlenecks in solar power supply, enhancing Malaysia's attractiveness for data centre investments. Key Takeaways: Malaysia's Position in Asean Data Centre Market : Malaysia is poised for significant growth in data centre demand, with a forecast of 5.6 Gigawatts (GW) over the next 10 years, placing it just behind India. This growth is driven by expanding digital infrastructure needs and renewable energy initiatives, despite alternative forecasts by DC Bytes placing Malaysia third behind India and Japan. Top Picks for Data Centre Investments : Macquarie has named Tenaga Nasional Bhd and YTL Power International Bhd as top picks to benefit from the data centre boom. Tenaga is set to capita...