05/01/2009 (Thomson Financial News), Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian plantation stocks gained on Monday on hopes that a rise in crude oil prices would bolster palm oil prices, dealers said.

Oil jumped more than 3 percent on Monday after an Iranian military commander reportedly called for an oil boycott over Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and on concerns over the deepening Russian gas supply row.

Among Malaysian planters, IOI Corp led the gains and was up 6.1 percent bu 0300 GMT, IJM Corp was up 5.3 percent and Sime Darby was up 2.8 percent, all outperforming a 1.35 percent rise in the benchmark index.

'There is no corporate news at the moment as far as any of these companies are concerned,' said a dealer at a local brokerage. 'It's just that they are rallying with the firming oil.'