(March 27): Foreign investors sold Malaysian stocks for a 29th-straight session on Wednesday (March 26), the longest selling streak since June 2018, amid concerns over the nation’s artificial intelligence (AI) projects, as the US seeks to control advanced chip technology transfers.

Global funds have sold more than US$2.1 billion (RM9.3 billion) of Malaysian stocks on a net basis so far this quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, the largest quarterly outflow since the second quarter of 2018. The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI equity gauge is down 6.8% so far this year.

“Trump’s tariffs have raised concerns that US semiconductor firms’ substantial manufacturing investments in Malaysia could come under threat,” said Jun Rong Yeap, a market strategist at IG Asia. This “may complicate Malaysia’s ambitions to establish itself as a regional semiconductor hub”.

Read also:
Malaysia to tighten semiconductor trade regulations under US pressure, Zafrul says in FT interview 
Malaysia’s trade at risk amid US semiconductor tariffs, research group says 

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy