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

Front Page

English newspapers

New Straits Times and the Star led with the arrest of 28 people in connection to an alleged scam involving irregularities at the computerised vehicle inspection centres (Puspakom) located throughout the country.

Malay newspapers

Berita Harian also headlined with the Anti-Corruption Agency's raid on Puspakom offices.

Utusan Malaysia frontpaged Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's statement that Barisan Nasional was not adversely affected by PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's win in the Permatang Pauh by-election on Tuesday.

Chinese newspapers

All Chinese newspapaer like Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang Siang Pau, Oriental Daily News and China Press led with Anwar being sworn in today in Parliament as the Paermatang Pauh MP.

Tamil newspapers

Tamil Nesan had former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in its front page quoting his firm believe that Anwar will never become the prime minister of Malaysia.

Makkal Osai had Hindraf's K Vasanthakumar, presently under ISA detention, rejecting accusations that he was a Special Branch plant in the movement as alleged by Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy.

In Malaysia Nanban, Hindraf leader Waythamoorthy, who is on a self-imposed exile in London, has been asked on the status of the legal suit which the movement filed against the UK government in behalf of the Indian community here.

Editorial

New Straits Times noted that the Permatang Pauh by-election showed democracy was alive and screaming in Malaysia, but that the time has come for sober debates and intellectual arguments as opposed to the "scream-fest" of barbs and personal attacks as witnessed in Penang.

Utusan Malaysia called for the government to maintain the tradition of ‘protecting the people' in the Budget 2009 to be unveiled tomorrow.

Berita Harian lamented the lack of patriotism as reflected in the relative absence of Malaysian flags this time seen on cars and in front of houses, although this is understandable given the current socio-economic and political uncertainties.

Malaysia Nanban commented on the hike in bus fares on Sept 15, urging commuters to accept the rise in the face of increasing cost of living.

Oriental Daily News urged the authority to reorganise Puspakom and other Road Transport Department-related agencies to prevent corruption.

Sin Chew Daily opined that the Faculty of Medicine in Universiti Malaya should enhances it's research development, after receiving Malaysia s prestigious Merdeka Award for the Health, Science and Technology category recently.

Nanyang Siang Pau urged all to accept the Permatang Pauh by-election result and that those who had transgressed the law must be punished.