PRESS DIGEST - Malaysia - May 18

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)

-- Fears that more people could contract the influenza A (H1N1) grew as the Health Ministry ordered all state health departments to trace and place 101 AirAsia Passengers under home quarantine, Deputy Health Director-General Ramlee Rahmat said.

-- Any price increases, especially in the current damp economic situation, will be monitored closely, said Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consmer Affairs secretary-general Mohd Zain Mohd Dom.

BUSINESS TIMES (www.btimes.com.my)

-- Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd BUCM.KL expects CIMB Thai Bank pcl, a Thai lender it bought last year, to start contributing to profits next year, its Chief Executive Officer Nazir Razak said.

-- The sale of Ramunia Fabricators Sdn Bhd to Sime Darby Engineering Sdn Bhd may spark a major consolidation involving government-linked companies (GLC) in oil and gas offshore fabrication, industry sources said.

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

-- Farmers should venture into contract farming to weather this period of global economic uncertainty, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said.

-- The fate of two Malaysians held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre will be known by the end of this month, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said.

THE EDGE FINANCIAL DAILY (www.theedgemalaysia.com)

-- Malaysia's economy is not expected to recover as long as the global economy is not showing any tangible sign of a turnaround, said former deputy governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Council and Innovation Council, Lin See Yan said.

THE MALAYSIAN RESERVE (www.themalaysianreserve.com)

-- Mesdaq-listed oil and gas services provider Perisai Petroleum Teknology Bhd (PPTB.KL) has found a buyer for its 60 percent stake in corrosion solutions provider Corro-Shield Sdn Bhd, sources said.

-- Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd (Bank Islam) has terminated its core banking system contract entered into just over a year ago with Swiss banking software maker Temenos Group AG, sources said.

THE SUN (www.sun2surf.com)

-- The Health Ministry is tracing the passengers on two flights to help contain the spread of the influenza A (H1N1) virus, said Deputy Director of Health Ramlee Rahmat.

** 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=3.510 Malaysian Ringgit)