PRESS DIGEST - Malaysia - Aug 7

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

ALL NEWSPAPERS

-- Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will be charged with sodomy today (Thursday), more than a month after a police report was lodged against him by his former aide.

THE STAR (www.thestar.com.my)

-- The Election Commission (EC) has set August 16 for nomination and August 26 for polling for the Permatang Pauh by-election, EC Chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said in a statement.

-- The declining crude oil price in the global market has lifted expectations the government may cut fuel prices sold at local pumps under a new market-driven pricing system to be in place next month, economists said.

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

-- More interfaith dialogues should be held to ensure continuous harmony among Malaysians of different religions, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

-- The prime minister said he did not instruct the police to charge Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim with sodomy.

BUSINESS TIMES

-- Hong Kong's Far East Consortium International Ltd is keen to invest further in Malaysia and is in talks with four parties to expand its hotel chain in Kuala Lumpur, its Director of project development Winnie Chiu said.

-- Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd (LMCE.KL), the country's largest cement producer, may pay up to 700 million ringgit in special dividends within the next 12 months, analysts said.

THE EDGE FINANCIAL DAILY (www.theedgedaily.com.my)

-- Plantation stocks continued to face heavy selling on Wednesday despite a recovery in crude palm oil (CPO) futures and the broader equity market, analysts said.

THE MALAYSIAN RESERVE (www.themalaysianreserve.com)

-- Public listed companies (PLCs) are expected to opt for a lower or no dividend payout policy in the next two years to cushion the sting of economic uncertainties to their bottom-lines, Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group Chief Executive Officer, Abdul Wahab Jaafar Sidek said.