Malaysian share prices closed 0.5 percent higher on Thursday due to late buying of blue chips ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid, dealers said. They said extended gains in plantation and mining stocks kept the key index in positive territory. Muslims make up about 60 percent of Malaysia's population of 27 million people.
The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index closed up 6.68 points to 1,383.61. Volume was lower at 1.5 billion shares valued at 1.9 billion ringgit (564 million dollars) and gainers led losers 442 to 384. At the close, the ringgit was trading at 3.3650/3670 to the dollar.
Among other index heavyweights, national power supplier Tenaga was down 10 sen at 9.45 ringgit, while Malaysia's largest bank Maybank added 10 sen to 11.80 ringgit. State-run Telekom Malaysia was down 10 sen at 10.50 ringgit. Plantation heavyweight Kuala Lumpur Kepong jumped 40 sen to 13.40 ringgit while British-American Tobacco (BAT) gained 75 sen to 41.50 ringgit.