Malaysian share prices fell 1.7 percent on Tuesday, dragged down by steep losses in plantation stocks and other heavyweights, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index shed 19.82 points to 1,128.86. Declining stocks outnumbered advancers 425 to 170.
"The sharp fall in crude palm oil prices triggered a selldown in plantation stocks," one dealer told Dow Jones Newswires. "Finance stocks also suffered at the expense of a mild selloff by foreign funds," the dealer said. Among plantation firms, IOI Corp was down 9.1 percent at 5.00 ringgit, MMC Corp plummeted 22.3 percent to 2.12 and Sime Darby was 3.9 percent weaker at 7.50.