PRESS DIGEST - Malaysia - June 5

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

THE STAR (www.thestar.com.my)

-- The outlook for the domestic steel sector should be brighter going forward as the slump in the industry has bottomed out following losses of about 485.9 million ringgit in the first quarter and even more in the fourth quarter of last year, analysts said.

BUSINESS TIMES (www.btimes.com.my)

-- Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) managing director Abd Radzak Abd Malek has been asked to leave the national rail company effective July 31, a year short of his contract, sources said.

-- PLUS Expressways Bhd (PLUE.KL) will set aside 800 million ringgit for its dividends this year, matching the payout in 2008, although it expects lower traffic growth, its managing director Noorizah Abdul Hamid said.

THE EDGE FINANCIAL DAILY (www.theedgemalaysia.com)

-- Companies linked to low-profile billionaire T Ananda Krishnan hogged the limelight on Thursday on the back of persistent speculation that Maxis Communications Bhd could be relisted into one of his public companies.

-- Bursa Malaysia Bhd (BMYS.KL) is expected to better its performance in the second quarter (2Q) of this year after market acitivity picked up significantly in the months of April and May, Bursa's chief executive officer Yusli Mohad Yusoff said.

THE MALAYSIAN RESERVE (www.themalaysianreserve.com)

-- Measat Global Bhd's (MTCB.KL) shares soared 53 percent on Thursday following further speculation in the market of an impending corporate exercise involving the company and Maxis Communications Bhd, an industry analyst said.

-- Chinese companies may be asked to participate in the completion of the double-tracking rail system in the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

THE SUN (www.sn2surf.com)

-- Claiming that it assisted the Port Klang Authority to terminate a management agreement with the Jebel Ali Free Zone International and that it used its resources to help secure a 4.632 billion ringgit loan from the Finance Ministry, a secretarial firm is seeking three percent of the amount - 145 million ringgit.

-- Three new Influenza A (H1N1) cases were confirmed in the country on Thursday, bringing the total to five since the first case last month, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said.

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