KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia opened lower compared to regional indices as the market awaited the release of the gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast later in the day.
At 9:19 a.m., the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI fell by 0.10 per cent, shedding 1.60 points to 1,644.39 from Friday's close of 1,645.99.
The broader market was in the red, with 431 decliners outpacing 168 gainers, while 341 counters remained unchanged.
Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd equity research vice president Thong Pak Leng stated that the market might be somewhat disappointed by the lack of infrastructure project implementations in Budget 2025.
"Nonetheless, the more optimistic GDP growth forecast of between 4.5 per cent and 5.5 per cent for 2025 may inject some optimism; thus, we expect the index to hover within the 1,645-1,655 range today," he said.