PRESS DIGEST - Malaysia - Nov 19

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

ALLL NEWSPAPERS

-- Starting Jan. 1, private cars using the North-South Expressway and the North-South Central Link will enjoy a 10 percent discount when travelling between midnight and 7am, PLUS Managing Director Noorizah Abd Hamid said.

THE STAR (www.thestar.com.my)

-- Two to three Malaysians are either barred from leaving for India or deported daily due to fake visas issued to them.

-- Lenders to Transmile Group Bhd (TMGB.KL) are unlikely to settle for anything less than cash from the airfreight operator, an analyst said.

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

-- Prime Minister and UMNO President, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants a quick solution to Wanita (Women) UMNO's leadership succession plan which has led to problems in the wing.

-- AirAsia Bhd (AIRA.KL) is looking into the possibility of flying to Uzbekistan following a request by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

BUSINESS TIMES (www.btimes.com.my)

-- Property companies will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on the government's prime land in the Klang Valley as details are being finalised by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), EPU Director-General Sulaiman Mahbob said.

-- The country's automotive policy should be overhauled to ensure a fairer and more open industry for both local and foreign players, industry watchers said.

THE EDGE FINANCIAL DAILY (www.theedgedaily.com)

-- Bursa Malaysia (BMYS.KL) will operate on a new securities trading platform from next month, which may also open doors for the local bourse to develop a common trading platform with regional bourses in the future, its Chief Executive Officer Yusli Mohamed Yusoff said.

THE MALAYSIAN RESERVE (www.themalaysianreserve.com)

-- Two Islamic fund managers, one from India and another from Kuwait, are the latest global players to receive approval to operate in Malaysia, the Securities Commission said.