Kuala Lumpur

The economic downturn is allowing Malaysia's leader to chip away at an affirmative action program for Malay Muslims that has been considered virtually untouchable in the past. Soon after taking office in April, Prime Minister Najib Razak scrapped a requirement for 30 percent Malay ownership of companies in certain service industries. This week, he cut the ownership requirement to 12.5 percent for companies that want to list on the stock exchange. Najib, who is Malay, has also promised to award more government scholarships next year based on academic excellence, rather than racial quotas. The moves are carefully calculated to avoid angering Malay voters. They ... Read Full Story

The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) wants to rope in a network of NGOs to reach out to the Indian community that it hopes to win back after last year's poll setback. The troubles within the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat, that took away thousands of Indian votes in the polls, have encouraged the MIC, the country's largest party of Indians, to take this initiative. The campaign mounted by MIC president S. Samy Vellu has received encouraging response, especially from Indian NGOs. "We hope to gather all the Indian NGOs to support the new policies being introduced by Prime Minister Najib Razak's administration," Vellu told Bernama, ... Read Full Story

Foreign investment in Malaysia has plummeted this year, according to Trade Minister Mustapa Mohamed, after the government announced liberalisation measures aimed at luring investors. "Foreign direct investment for 2008 was 46 billion ringgit (13 billion dollars) and for January to May this year we have only seen 4.2 billion ringgit," Mustapa told reporters. Wahad Hamid, deputy head of the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority, said the investment climate was extremely tough despite a strong performance by Malaysia in the three previous years. "Last year, total investment was about 62 billion ringgit but this year we are only targetting half of that, about 30 billion ringgit," ... Read Full Story

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has lost a final bid to have his sodomy trial held in a lower court, ending a long wrangle over where the case should be heard, his lawyer said Thursday. The Court of Appeal rejected the application and affirmed an earlier decision that the politically charged case should be heard in the High Court. The trial is due to start July 8. Amid widespread doubts over the standards of Malaysia's judiciary, Anwar's supporters have said they fear authorities will be able to manipulate the case more easily in the High Court. "The decision is not appealable. I am most ... Read Full Story

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who faces trial this month on sodomy charges, said his Pakatan Rakyat alliance would survive even if he is convicted and jailed. Anwar has rejected the allegations levelled by a 23-year-old former aide as a conspiracy to derail his plan to topple the government. He was found guilty of separate sodomy and corruption charges a decade ago in a case widely seen as politically motivated. In 2004 the sodomy conviction was overturned, allowing Anwar to go free after six years in jail. "There is no question of the Pakatan Rakyat continuing, surviving. It will continue to defend the rights ... Read Full Story