Malaysiakini compares the key news and views in major newspapers. What is today’s agenda for the English, Bahasa, Tamil and Chinese papers?

Front page

English newspapers

The New Straits Times front-paged de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim’s announcement that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to soon unveil a series of sweeping judiciary reforms.

This will include the setting up of an independent judicial commission to appoint and promote judges, to restore the judicial powers with the courts and introduce reforms to ensure the separation of power between the executive and judiciary.

Star meanwhile highlighted the move to make it compulsory under law for non-Muslims who want to convert to Islam to inform their family first, as announced by the premier yesterday.

The paper also carried a letter from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad who accused the DAP of supporting Abdullah so that the opposition can take over the federal government in the next general election.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was quoted in an interview with the Star as saying the opposition will not table a no-confidence motion against Abdullah in Parliament to oust the prime minister.

Malay newspapers

On judiciary as well, Utusan Malaysia highlighted Abdullah’s statement that the government will not apologise to former lord president Salleh Abas over the 1988 judiciary crisis.

Abdullah, who is also Umno president was quoted in the paper as reiterating that the Umno election’s rules, especially the quota system, stay.

Berita Harian quoted Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin as saying foreign students who want to study locally will need to declare the sponsor of their education in order that the student visa will not be abused.

Editorial

Berita Harian lauded the government’s move to introduce judiciary reform, saying it will restore the people’s confidence on the judiciary.

NST gave a thumb-down on the proposal to allow universities to choose their own undergraduates, which it said may turn the selection process to be “likely confuse and debilitate”, as well as the universities wasting their precious time and resources.