Malaysian share opened the week in positive territory on Monday, snapping a three-day losing streak following the release of upbeat economic data.
The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI, the main gauge of Malaysian stocks, gained 2.24 points to end 0.14% higher at 1,602.91 at the close. The index started lower but gained momentum throughout the session, trading within a range of 1,600.43 and 1,604.8.
In economic news, Malaysia's construction sector continued to grow in the first quarter, as the work done value rose 14.2% to 36.8 billion ringgit, faster than the 6.8% growth in the preceding quarter, according to data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM).
The country's manufacturing sales rose 1.4% annually in March to 158.4 billion ringgit, according to data released by the statistics department.
However, Malaysia's natural rubber production declined by 9.2% in March to 26,966 tonnes versus 29,691 tonnes in the prior month, DoSM said. Annually, the natural rubber production edged down by 0.8% from 27,188 tonnes.
In corporate news, shares of IT service management company MMAG (KLSE:MMAG) surged more than 87%, while those of tech firm Awanbiru Technology (KLSE:AWANTEC) jumped 55% on Monday's close.