Malaysian share prices closed 0.40 percent higher on Monday, with palm oil and technology stocks finding support on hopes for an upturn in both industries, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index was up 3.67 points to 928.88.
Gainers outnumbered losers 355 to 352, with 313 stocks unchanged and 304 untraded.
Volume was 450.99 million shares, worth 711.76 million ringgit (189 million dollar).
The ringgit was traded at 3.7715 to the dollar and 4.5716 to the euro.
"Plantation counters, especially Golden Hope and IOI Corp, were the focus of the day, based on expectation of higher crude palm oil prices in the near future and increasing demand for bio-diesel," a local brokerage dealer said, adding that the broader market was weak due to a lack of buying interest.
Among blue chips, Tenaga Nasional lost 0.01 ringgit to 10.70, Telekom Malaysia was flat at 10.20, and Maybank was up 0.10 at 11.50.
Plantation stock IOI Corp added 0.20 to 13.0, Kuala Lumpur Kepong edged up 0.15 to 8.30, Asiatic Development advanced 0.11 to 2.40, Kumpulan Guthrie gained 0.05 to 2.46 and Golden Hope Plantations firmed 0.08 to 4.20.
Technology stock Unisem was up 0.15 at 1.58 on an improved outlook, dealers said.
Edaran Otomobil Nasional (EON) was flat at 3.36 despite a report that national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd is considering acquiring DRB-Hicom Bhd's 29.3 percent stake in EON.