PRESS DIGEST - Malaysia - June 26
Following are the main stories in Malaysian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
ALL NEWSPAPERS
-- Petroliam National Bhd (Petronas) [PETR.UL] has paid 30 billion ringgit ($8.49 billion) in dividends to the Federal Government for the financial year ended March 31, 2009 (FY09) despite a 14 percent drop in net profit to 52.5 billion ringgit due to lower crude oil prices and increase in operation costs, its acting chairman Hassan Marican said.
THE STAR (www.thestar.com.my)
-- The government is looking into a proposal to reduce the detention period under the Internal Security Act from 60 to 28 days, said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
-- Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) [PETR.UL] is seeking to slash its expenditure by 30 percent from the amount it spent in its 2006 fiscal year, its president Mohd Hassan Marican said.
BUSINESS TIMES (www.btimes.com.my)
-- EON Capital Bhd (EONP.KL) hopes to raise up to 500 million ringgit via the sale of perpetual preference shares which may boost its Tier 1 capital, or the most liquid form of capital, to around 11 percent, chairman Syed Anwar Jamalullail said.
NEW STRAITS TIMES (www.nst.com.my)
-- Indonesia will temporarily halt sending domestic helpers to Malaysia starting today (Friday) pending review of a memorandum of understanding on migrant workers, Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Minster Erman Suparno said.
-- Give workers who come back from influenza A-infected countries unrecorded leave. This, said Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, was of national importance.
THE EDGE FINANCIAL DAILY (www.theedgemalaysia.com)
-- Goh Ban Huat Bhd's (GBHK.KL) single largest shareholder Tan Hua Choon, better known as Robert Tan, has launched a conditional takeover of Goh Ban Huat by offering to acquire the remaining 69.55 percent or 43.067 million shares at 53.83 million ringgit.
THE MALAYSIAN RESERVE (www.themalaysianreserve.com)
-- Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd (KPSB.KL), which has stakes in two water treatment concessions in Selangor, Konsortium Abass Sdn Bhd (Abass) and Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Holdings Bhd (Splash), has been re-offered some 946 million ringgit by the Selangor state government for Abass's water operations, assets and liabilities, Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor said.
THE SUN (www.sun2surf.com)
-- With the number of A (H1N1) cases climbing to 91 on Thursday, and with the public getting worried over the rising number of local transmissions, the Health Ministry has decided to freeze leave for 100,000 of its staff nationwide until further notice to ensure there is adequate manpower to contain the flu outbreak, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said.
-- Xingquan International Sports Holdings Ltd has received strong response to its institutional offering in connection with its initial public offering and listing on the main board of Bursa Malaysia Securites Bhd, Xingquan said in a statement.
** Looking for more information from local sources? Reuters Business Briefing has 13 Malaysian sources including Business Times Malaysia. For details of the product please call your local help desk (PHONE/HELP).
($1=3.512 Malaysian Ringgit)
