KUALA LUMPUR (June 21): Bursa Malaysia’s Healthcare Index rose the most among the local bourse indices in terms of percentage on Tuesday (June 21), to finish 45.72 points or 2.78% higher at 1,688.61 points, driven partly by increases in glove stocks.

Notably, Top Glove Corp Bhd’s share price rose nine and a half sen or 9.64% to RM1.08, while Supermax Corp Bhd climbed four and a half sen or 5.23% to 90.5 sen, and Hartalega Holdings Bhd ended 4.26% or 12 sen higher at RM2.94. Their smaller peer Careplus Group Bhd added four sen or 9.3% to finish at 47 sen.  

The four, together with hospital bed maker LKL International Bhd as well as genomics and biopharmaceutical company Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre Bhd — which climbed 22.22% or one sen to 5.5 sen, and 9.09% or six sen higher to 72 sen, respectively — made up the top six active list on the Health Care Index.

The broader FBM KLCI finished the day at 1,457.88 points after gaining 16.64 points or 1.15%.

The stir of interest in healthcare stocks could be due to investors weighing the possibility of new Covid-19 infection waves, which Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told a press conference earlier in the same day could happen in two or three months.

While Covid-19 cases remain under control in the country, the nation might be hit by another wave of infection in two or three months.

“We are not sure how extensive or big this wave will be but epidemiological developments in other countries suggest that this wave will strike.

“That is why certain categories [of people], those who are old and facing chronic health problems, are encouraged to top up their immunity through an additional dose,” he told reporters after opening a dialogue session in conjunction with the Ministry of Health (MoH) hospital directors’ conference in Petaling Jaya.

He further said the Covid-19 pandemic is not the only pandemic that will be faced by humans. "We may have to face more pandemic ahead. This is not going to be the last pandemic,” added Khairy.

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