SE Asia Stocks-Rise on oil price rebound; Malaysia up with ringgit

BANGKOK, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Thursday, with the Malaysian index hitting a seven-week high amid gains in the ringgit in reaction to rebounding oil prices while Indonesian shares posted modest gains after the central bank cut rates as expected. Gains in crude oil helped improve risk sentiment in Asia, sending MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan 1.8 percent higher. Kuala Lumpur composite index climbed nearly 1 percent to 1,680.02