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

Front Page

English newspapers

While the shortage of cooking oil dominated coverage, other issues also made it to the front page of various dailies.

New Straits Times reported that there were 363,000 road accidents and 5,670 deaths last year. The number of accidents increased while deaths and injuries declined. It added that injuries and fatalities can be reduced by wearing seatbelts and helmets.

Star front-paged the wreckage of Wednesday’s fatal accident involving a car and a lorry carrying metal roof frames near the Tapah rest area along the North-South Expressway. It also reported that a special four-member team will begin monitoring the effectiveness of the National Service programme this month.

The Sun speculated on a ‘clash of titans’ in Penang’ in the next general election, between DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon for the Jelutong parliamentary seat.

It also reported that Selangor Badminton Association’s previous president V Subramaniam had refused to hand over the premises to controversial Port Klang assemblyman Zakaria Mohd Deros. The former is challenging the Sports Commissioner’s decision to reinstate Zakaria as president.

Malay newspapers

Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian both led with news of an enforcement raid on a shop in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, where RM8,000 worth of cooking oil were being hoarded.

Utusan reported that cooking oil has been smuggled to Thailand where it can be sold at a higher price of RM5.80 a kilogramme.

Berita Harian further reported that the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry has assured that the shortage will be resolved in the next two weeks, as manufacturers have been ordered to increase the production quota by 10 percent.

It also reported that the health ministry will amend regulations regarding special charges and procedures in private hospitals to control the cost of private medical care.

Chinese newspapers

Quoting MCA sources, Oriental Daily News is predicting that former vice-president Chua Soi Lek is eyeing a turnaround battle in the coming party elections by roping in the old Team A faction.

Sin Chew Daily revealed several irregularities in the driving licence test, including cases where candidates can obtain licences without taking the test.

Nanyang Siang Pau led with the increase in the price of necessities ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations next month.

Editorial

New Straits Times commented that the shortage of cooking oil is not the consequence of smuggling, hoarding and black market trading, but due to price controls. It said manufacturers have no choice but to reduce production to cut losses, when the price of cooking oil is fixed and the price for raw oil is increasing.

The Sun commented on the 5kg per purchase limit on cooking oil and urged the government to build public confidence by ensuring that consumer demands are efficiently met. It also suggested free market trading to curb smuggling, but added that price support is necessary to offset the burden of price increases on vulnerable groups.

Utusan Malaysia called on the authorities to prepare alternative plans to ensure that traders cannot speculate on prices, or hoard or smuggle cooking oil to neighbouring countries.

Berita Harian lauded the amendment to the Road Transport Act 1987 to enable police to take stern action against illegal racers, including giving police officers the power to confiscate vehicles.

Nanyang Siang Pau blamed the cooking oil shortage on the drop in domestic production.

Sin Chew Daily urged the education ministry to reopen the Damansara Chinese school, which has been kept waiting for seven years now for a decision.