At 12.30pm, the KLCI fell 5.96 points to 1,060.4. Turnover was 314.19 million shares valued at RM528.52 million. Losers hammered gainers 356 to 85 while 167 counters were unchanged.

A firmer US dollar affected commodities, according to news reports. CPO futures fell RM79 to RM1,993, the lowest since March 31 while spot gold fell US$1.63 to US$923.05. Light crude oil fell 75 cents to US$62.18.

Major Asian markets fell, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 2.48% to 9,408.42, Shanghai’s Composite Index lost 2.17% to 3,022.27 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gave up 1.7% to 17,560.97 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index declined 1.2% to 2,245.93.

At Bursa Malaysia, among plantations and related-counters, KL Kepong fell 20 sen to RM11.70, Hap Seng 13 sen to RM2.42, IOI Corp six sen to RM4.60 and Sime unchanged at RM7.25.

IJM fell 30 sen to RM5.45, IJM-WB 10 sen to RM1.08, Asia File 14 sen to RM4.60 and Allianz 10 sen to RM3.90. 

Satang, which will be suspended on July 13, fell 10.5 sen to 19.5 sen, extending its 20 sen loss the previous day.

KNM fell 3.5 sen to 72.5 sen and it was the most active with 27.11 million shares done.

Hai-O was the top gainer, rising 16 sen to RM4.80 with 282,200 shares done while Malaysian Mosaics gaine 10.5 sen to 98.5 sen while LPI, Tanjong and DiGi rose 10 sen each to RM11.50, RM13.90 and RM22 respectively.