Rough start to Year of Monkey for Malaysian stocks

PETALING JAYA: Investors on Bursa Malaysia endured a rough start to the Lunar New Year of the Monkey with the main index down in line with sharp declines across the region.

The market reopened after the long holiday with FTSE Bursa Malaysia KL Composite Index (FBM KLCI) and immediately went into the red as investors played catch-up with a rout that has pulled down markets in Japan and Australia deeper into bear territory.