KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 ― Bursa Malaysia closed the morning session higher with the key index remaining in positive territory, backed by buying support in selected bluechips led by Tenaga.

At 12.30pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 2.94 points better at 1,717.36 from yesterday’s close of 1,714.42.

The index opened 1.86 points higher at 1,716.28.

Gains in Tenaga contributed 3.471 points to the rise of composite index. The power stock rose 36 sen to RM15.34 with 11.64 million shares changing hands.

Market breadth, however, was slightly weaker with decliners leading gainers 422 to 332, with 347 counters unchanged, 773 untraded and 75 others suspended.

Turnover stood at 890.09 million shares worth RM1.04 billion.

A dealer said Asian markets were mixed amid the bullish overnight close of Wall Street and concerns over North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng contracted 0.36 per cent to 29,574.82, Singapore's Straits Times eased 0.03 per cent to 3,441.48, but Japan's Nikkei 225 bagged 0.26 per cent to 22,548.93.

On Bursa Malaysia, the FBM Emas Index was 23.73 points higher at 12,387.64, the FBMT 100 Index increased 23.78 points to 12,046.27, the FBM Ace jumped 139.72 points to 6,477.05 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 51.83 points to 12,894.55 as the FBM 70 perked 42 points to 15,338.14.

Sector-wise, the Finance Index trimmed 12.1 points to 15,886.53 with the Plantation Index losing 12.93 points to 7,855.95, and the Industrial Index declining 16.47 points to 3,084.88.

Among heavyweights, Petronas Chemicals bagged nine sen to RM7.47 and CIMB added two sen to RM5.95, but Maybank and Public Bank eased one sen and four sen to RM9.19 and RM20.24 respectively.

Sime Darby, however, was flat at RM8.94.

Of the actives, Green Packet inched down half-a-sen to 43.5 sen, MRCB gained four sen to RM1.05 and Diversified Gateway added half-a-sen to 8.5 sen, while PUC was flat at 20 sen. ― Bernama