Malaysian shares ended lower for a third straight day on Wednesday with investors booking their gains, but oil and gas firms were boosted by news of PSC Industries' interest in Sudan's oil market.
PSC bucked the broader market fall, rising 9.2 percent to 6.50 ringgit before its suspension, after saying it was bidding for an oil exploration contract in Sudan.
The news sparked interest in other oil firms like Tenggara Oil, which gained 4.1 percent to 1.51 ringgit in active trade, and SAAG Consolidated that added 2.7 percent to 3.80 ringgit.
The key Kuala Lumpur Composite Index ended down 0.3 percent at 815.98 points, on overall volume of 626 million shares. Losers beat gainers three to one.
"There were some interest in oil and gas stocks, otherwise it has been a quiet market today," said a dealer at Kuala Lumpur City Securities.
Shares of construction firm Kumpulan Europlus jumped nearly seven percent on news it had won a 1.0 billion ringgit ($263 million) deal to build an entertainment park in central Selangor state.
In negative territory for most of the morning, the stock shot up on optimism the deal could fetch good profit margins. It ended unchanged at 88 cents.
The key index rose about five percent to a 41-month high between Wednesday and Friday last week after the appointment of a new deputy prime minister eased market uncertainty and raised hopes of an early general election.
Among Kuala Lumpur's heavyweights, fixed line operator Telekom Malaysia and Malaysia International Shipping Corp led the key index's fall. MISC lost 3.4 percent to 11.50 ringgit while Telekom shed 1.1 percent to 9.10 ringgit.
MISC's loss accounted for more than 60 percent of the fall in the key index.
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