KUALA LUMPUR (March 30): The FBM KLCI fell 1.16 points or 0.1% in tandem with weakness across Asian share markets. Late buying in index-linked PPB Group Bhd shares had helped the KLCI cut losses.

At 5pm, the KLCI closed at 1,749.25 points after falling to its intraday low at 1,746.05 points. PPB rose 48 sen to RM17.18 to become Bursa Malaysia's top gainer on news its 18.6%-owned unit Wilmar International Ltd ended a dispute with Australian sugar cane growers.

Reuters reported that the Australian government has made a rare intervention in the country's sugar market, effectively forcing Singapore-listed miller Wilmar to end a two-year dispute with cane growers in the state of Queensland.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, under increasing pressure from his right-wing National Party's agricultural base, said late on Wednesday the country would introduce a mandatory code of conduct forcing millers such as Wilmar to allow farmers to choose who sells the sweetener after it has been processed by mills.

In Malaysia, analysts told theedgemarkets.com that Malaysian shares had fallen with Asian equities as investors were uncertain about US President Donald Trump's plan for the US economy.
 
The UK's plan exit from the European Union (EU) was also closely watched. Across Asian share markets, Japan's Nikkei 225 dipped 0.8% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.37%.

“The FBM KLCI’s weakness today is mainly due to uncertainties over Trump’s economic policies as investors weighed the impact of the UK’s exit from the Eurozone," Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd senior analyst Kenneth Leong said.

Across Bursa Malaysia, 3.22 billion shares valued at RM2.56 billion were traded.

There were 465 gainers and 420 decliners. Top decliners included
Genting Malaysia Bhd and Sime Darby Bhd.