KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — Bursa Malaysia remained lower at mid-morning today with its key index staying in red territory as the nationwide expansion of the movement control order (MCO) curbed investors’ risk appetite.

At 11.03am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) erased 8.79 points to 1,575.13 from Monday’s close of 1,583.92.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced yesterday that the whole country would be placed under the MCO from May 12 until June 7 to curb the recent spike in Covid-19 infections.

"This weighed on market sentiment,” a dealer said, adding that Bank Negara Malaysia’s announcement of the first quarter 2021 Gross Domestic Product later today would be closely watched.

On the broader marker, losers trounced gainers 873 to 141, while 335 counters were unchanged, 819 untraded and 12 others suspended.

Total volume stood at 2.72 billion shares worth RM1.19 billion.

Among the heavyweights, Maybank and IHH Healthcare shed five sen each to RM8.19 and RM5.61 respectively, Public Bank and Tenaga slipped one sen each to RM4.09 and RM9.89 respectively, and PetChem fell 15 sen to RM8.10.

Of the actives, Focus Dynamics trimmed one sen to seven sen, Fintec inched down half-a-sen to four sen, while Pegasus and AT Systematization were flat at two sen and nine sen respectively.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index was 85.85 points weaker at 11,530.48, the FBMT 100 Index contracted 74.36 points to 11,203.68, the FBM Emas Shariah Index reduced 90.96 points to 12,931.15, the FBM ACE fell 186.01 points to 7,951.83 and the FBM 70 lost 145.81 points to 15,021.45.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index gave up 89.02 points for 14,700.52, the Plantation Index erased 84.56 points to 7,065.57, and the Industrial Products and Services Index slid 2.72 points to 196.44. — Bernama