Malaysiakini compares the key news and views in major newspapers. What is today’s agenda for the newspapers?

Front Page

English newspapers

The New Straits Times front-paged a speculative story, quoting sources, stating that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak would be stepping down.

(In a presidential address earlier today, Mubarak instead announced that he would be transferring his powers to vice-president Omar Suleiman, but has no intention of stepping down until his term ends in September.)

Star headlined a report on the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry launching a probe on how the subsidised Super Tempatan (ST15) rice is not reaching the target groups.

Malay newspapers

Berita Harian reported that the government is studying a proposal to prepare a quota of houses worth RM200,000 for people who are in the middle-income bracket - where they still can’t afford their own houses but are over-qualified for a ‘People’s Housing Project’.

Utusan Malaysia front-paged Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement of an incentive for top-performing teachers.

The daily also published a second item stating that the Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim should be ‘ashamed of himself’ for allegedly requesting to form a state-owned security force.

Sinar Harian meanwhile reported that two out of four men died after being trapped in a sewage manhole in Subang Jaya yesterday. The other two men are in critical condition.

Chinese newspapers

China Press reported that the Education Ministry handed over RM2.49 billion to 16 state education departments and seven educational organisations for raising the schools’ academic level.

Oriental Daily News and Sin Chew Daily headlined that the former political secretary of Minister in the PM’s Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop had been charged with money laundering. About RM2.13 million cash had also been found in his house. The defendant, Hasbie Satar. was the political secretary of Nor Mohamed when he was the Second Finance Minister.

Nanyang Siang Pau reported that Malaysia's stock market had dropped by 32 points or 2%, which is the highest drop rate in the past 27 months, incurring RM21.75billion in losses in the market.

Editorial

New Straits Times called for greater awareness and management for the mental health of Malaysians, in the light of a 17-year-old schoolgirl who jumped to her death in her school compound recently.

Berita Harian opined that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s recent statement that the government has an open policy in appointing CEOs to government-linked companies, will ensure that the corporations operate well.

Sin Chew Daily supported the amendment of the Land Transport Act 2010 where the driver who refuses to pay a summons from a municipal council would be blacklisted, and urged the government not to give discounts to those who receive summonses.

Nanyang Siang Pau

urged the governments of Thailand and Cambodia to collaborate in protecting the Preah Vihear Temple.

China Press urged the Education Department to treat all schools fairly in the distribution of resources.