KUALA LUMPUR
The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) fell 3.56 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 1,186.98, at the opening

TOKYO
Japan's Nikkei stock average opened up 0.3 per cent on Monday, with Mitsui and other trading firms climbing after oil surged to a record high near US$143 (S$194.67) a barrel on Friday, deepening fears about the world economy.

Financial firms such as Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group slipped after their US peers fell on worries about more credit losses. Lehman Brothers forecast Merrill Lynch would write down another US$5.4 billion in the second quarter, while Moody's Investors Service said it may cut Morgan Stanley's credit rating.