PRESS DIGEST - Malaysia - July 9

Following are the main stories in Malaysian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

ALL NEWSPAPERS

-- Mathematics and Science will be taught in Bahasa Malaysia from 2012 and English will be given prominence with the teaching of the language beefed up from next year, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said.

THE STAR (www.thestar.com.my)

-- The electricity tariff review scheduled for this month has been delayed but end-users may have to brace themselves for higher rates not too long from now, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin said.

-- Crude palm oil (CPO) prices might have peaked two months ago and are likely to head lower for the rest of the year on weak industry fundamentals, analysts said.

BUSINESS TIMES (www.btimes.com.my)

-- UEM Group Bhd has been offered huge projects in Vietnam and is also mulling whether to accept a contract to build a bridge in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, its chairman Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said.

-- Several entities from the Middle East and the West are in the process of submitting applications to set up "mega-Islamic" banks in Kuala Lumpur, which requires at least $1 billion (3.56 billion ringgit) in paid-up capital, Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said.

NEW STRAITS TIMES (www.nst.com.my)

-- Three suspects will be charged with human trafficking this week, showing the country's seriousness in fighting this menace, the Attorney-General's Chambers said.

THE EDGE FINANCIAL DAILY (www.theedgemalaysia.com)

-- Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz is not ruling out another round of overnight policy rate (OPR) cut, premised on the continuing uncertainties in the external environment.

THE MALAYSIAN RESERVE (www.themalaysianreserve.com)

-- IJM Plantations Bhd (IJMS.KL) is proposing to raise 336.56 million ringgit through a capital raising exercise to partly finance the company's development of existing and future oil palm plantations, namely in Indonesia, IJM Plantations said in a statement.

-- Lenstar Investment Ltd and local partner Pristine Oil (M) Sdn Bhd hope to start construction works on their proposed $800 million (2.84 billion ringgit) crude oil storage facilities in Gurun, Kedah, in the first quarter next year, Lenstar managing director Mohammad Munir Malik said.