KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Selling pressure on blue chips and finance-linked counters weighed on Bursa Malaysia today, with the market bellwether closing at its five-week low on weak sentiment.

At 5pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) finished at 1,661.39, down 15.79 points, from yesterday’s close of 1,677.18.

The index fluctuated between 1,659.2 and 1,674.68 points throughout the day amid weak participation due to the shortened trading week.

Bursa Malaysia was closed on Monday for Hari Raya Aidiladha and will be closed on Friday for the Malaysia Day holiday.

Losses in Axiata and Public Bank dragged down the barometer index, contributing a total of 4.98 points to the fall in the index.

Telecommunication provider Axiata closed 18 sen lower at RM5.31 while Public Bank lost 34 sen to RM19.46.

A dealer said investor sentiment in the market had been clouded by the uncertainty over the US central bank’s next move on its interest rates and this pushed away risk appetite in most Asian bourses.

Regionally, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.69 per cent to 16,614.24, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.11 per cent to 23,190.64 and Singapore’s Straits Times shed 0.27 per cent to 2,810.69.

Market breadth on the local bourse was negative with losers thumping gainers 533 to 265 while 350 counters were unchanged, 532 untraded and 23 others suspended.

Volume increased to 1.40 billion units worth RM1.82 billion from 1.36 billion units valued at RM1.51 billion recorded yesterday.

On the scoreboard, the FBM Emas Index gave up 88.66 points to 11,705.97, the FBMT100 Index eased 88.93 points to 11,412.37 and the FBM Emas Shariah Index lost 81.29 points to 12,356.69.

The FBM 70 was 35.43 points weaker at 13,623.99 and the FBM Ace slipped 0.86 of-a-point to 5,186.79.

On a sectoral basis, the Finance Index dropped 158.1 points to 14,247.78, the Industrial Index fell 19.49 points to 3,109.23 but the Plantation Index rose 4.71 points to 7,865.96.

Of the heavyweights, Tenaga fell 14 sen to RM14.40, Maybank declined five sen to RM7.89, IHH Healthcare slipped one sen to RM6.61 and Petronas Chemicals eased two sen to RM6.63.

Among actives, D.B.E Gurney was flat at 4.5 sen while Hiap Teck gained half-a-sen to 29.5 sen and Melewar Industrial added three sen to 57 sen.

Main Market turnover rose to 974.84 million shares worth RM1.75 billion from 899.08 million shares valued at RM1.43 billion yesterday.

The ACE Market volume fell to 196.29 million units valued at RM27.25 million from yesterday’s 219.16 million units worth RM33.62 million.

Warrants slid to 229.71 million shares worth RM43.69 million from 235.45 million shares worth RM47.01 million previously.

Consumer products accounted for 90.16 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products (328.23 million), construction (49.78 million), trade and services (308.09 million), technology (44.73 million), infrastructure (24.72 million), SPAC (3.29 million), finance (56.94 million), hotels (183,300), properties (39.76 million), plantations (20.27 million), mining (nil), REITs (8.67 million) and closed/fund (8,600). — Bernama