Rubber Market Rebounds To Close Higher, Tracking Regional Rubber Markets
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian rubber market rebounded to close higher on Tuesday, in tandem with regional rubber futures markets, a dealer said.
He said market sentiment was lifted by encouraging news regarding the auto industry and the Chinese economic policy amid persistent worries about the natural rubber (NR) supply.
'Nevertheless, further gains were capped by losses in crude oil prices as investors turned cautious over Russia-Ukraine peace talks and upcoming cues from the US Federal Reserve,' he told Bernama.
He also noted that Japanese rubber futures rose on Tuesday, supported by expectations of higher automobile demand in India and concerns about weather in top producer Thailand.
At 3 pm, the Malaysian Rubber Board reported that the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) 20 was up by 10 sen to 739 sen per kilogramme (kg), while latex in bulk inched up by 3.5 sen to 572 sen per kg.
-- BERNAMA
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Of defence assets and agents
AUG 16 will be a day that the people who matter in the Defence Ministry will never forget. It was the day His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia disclosed to the nation that the ministry was full of agents, ex-generals turned salesmen and even textile merchants peddling drones. He made this disclosure in his royal address during the parade marking the 60th anniversary of the Special Forces Regiment at Kem Iskandar in Mersing, Johor. Relying on agents is a dangerous pursuit for an institution that is tasked with defending the country. And in case they forget, three days later, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reminded those responsible for procuring defence assets to end the reliance on agents when replying to a question in Parliament. The Defence Ministry, he said, had faced decades of controversies and scandals involving procurement, forcing the government to adopt government-to-government negotiations. Why then is the Defence Ministry packed with agents? Perhaps the RM5 billion defence procurement and development spending in 2024 — an increase of RM2 billion from that of 2020 — has something to do with it. A royal reprimand and a prime ministerial reminder say a lot about the seriousness of the problem. Enough of the "the decades of controversies and scandals", we say. We know that middlemen is a Malaysian malaise, but of all places in the Defence Ministry? The use of agents — ex-generals or otherwise — comes with at least two dangers. Let's begin with the more dangerous of the dangers: poor quality of defence assets peddled by the agents. Compromise the defence assets, then you compromise the defence of the country. Defence assets of quality don't need agents to peddle them. Nations will beat the path to their door. It is "flying coffins", to borrow a royal phrase, like the second-hand A-4 Skyhawk aircraft bought in the 1980s, that need the hawking, excuse the pun. Scrap the plan to buy the 30-year-old Black Hawk helicopters, Sultan Ibrahim ordered the Defence Ministry. Media reports say the armed forces is scrapping its plan to buy four Black Hawk helicopters at a cost of RM187 million. But the question is: why wait for the royal command? Isn't the internal process robust enough to raise red flags? Or is integrity a challenge? Dropping the purchase of the helicopters is just the first step. More needs to be done. The primary interest of agents, even ex-generals turned salesmen, is how much they can get out of the deal. The quality of the defence assets they are hawking or whether or not they are compromising the security of the nation is secondary. For Malaysia, a nation of small means, every ringgit spent must show up its worth. The purchase of 88 second-hand A-4 Skyhawk jets did the exact opposite. It drained the country's coffers of millions. Although the price tag was US$1 million each, getting them refurbished took years, spiralling the cost to four times that to RM1.2 billion, media reports say. Then there is the Scorpene submarine deal in 2002 that cost US$130 million in commission. If this is how we do procurement of defence assets, even hundreds of billions wouldn't be enough.

Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Malaysia Sees ASEAN As Strategic Growth Region Amid Global Challenges
BUSINESS KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 ( Bernama) — Malaysia views ASEAN as a region with vast untapped potential -- poised to become a dynamic engine of growth and resilience amid global uncertainties, according to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). MITI Deputy Secretary General (Trade) Mastura Ahmad Mustafa said ASEAN is more than just a large market, it is a reservoir of innovation, creativity and energy with a population nearing 700 million, almost one third of whom are youth. 'Our demographic dividend, coupled with a rapidly growing consumer class, rising connectivity and accelerating digital adoption, gives ASEAN a unique advantage. 'If nurtured in accordance with the principles of sustainability and inclusivity, these strengths will not only fortify our region's growth but also position ASEAN to play a defining role in shaping the future of the global economy,' she said in her speech at the welcome dinner for the Senior Economic Officials' Meeting (SEOM) 3/56 and Related Meetings today. Under the ASEAN chairmanship, Mastura said Malaysia is working to deepen regional integration, strengthen supply chain resilience, foster sustainable and responsible investment and advance digital innovation. 'More importantly, we are committed to creating opportunities for businesses of all sizes, especially micro, small and medium enterprises to participate meaningfully in ASEAN's growth story,' she added. In a separate statement, MITI said key discussions at SEOM 3/56 focused on Malaysia's Priority Economic Deliverables under its 2025 ASEAN chairmanship; updates on the 2025 Annual Priorities under the AEM/SEOM purview; implementation of ASEAN agreements; advancement of the Digital Economy Framework Agreemen; and ASEAN's sustainability agenda, including carbon neutrality, circular economy, and the ASEAN Power Grid. MITI is hosting the SEOM 3/56 and Related Meetings from Aug 18 to 23 in Kuala Lumpur. The ministry said that discussions with ASEAN Dialogue Partners focused on reviewing progress and addressing key issues related to the implementation of existing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), as well as the status of work plans and ongoing economic cooperation initiatives.

Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Impact Of US Market Restrictions On Malaysian Palm Oil Expected To Be Minimal
According to the KPK, the main factor contributing to this is the specific characteristics and functions of Malaysian palm oil which has been certified sustainable through the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, making it difficult to replace with other oils in the global market. 'Therefore, the level of industry dependence in the US on sustainable palm-based materials is high,' the ministry said on the parliament website in reply to a question from Kamal Ashaari (PN-Kuala Krau) on the government's short- and medium-term plan for the palm oil industry to adapt to the US market. In 2024, Malaysia exported 191,231 tonnes of palm oil to the US. This value was only 1.1 per cent of the country's total palm oil exports for the year.