Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Wednesday proposed a much-anticipated anti-corruption bill and another bill to restore integrity to the country's judiciary.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission bill, aimed to take effect in January, was aimed at stamping out corruption in the public and private sectors.

Abdullah also proposed an independent judicial body to manage the appointment of judges of superior courts.

Both bills came amid growing criticism that Abdullah has done little to make good on his pledge to clamp down on corruption since taking office in November 2003.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia has freed a suspected Islamic terrorist who was detained for several years under a draconian security law for his alleged involvement in the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, a news report said Wednesday.

Yazid Sufaat, 44, had allegedly allowed his home to be used for meetings by members of radical terrorist group al-Qaeda in the planning of the US attacks, said Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan.

Authorities detained Yazid under the Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial, in January 2002, Musa was quoted as saying by the Star online news portal.

Yazid was released, along with a second Malaysian man, on November 24, said Musa.

Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 10 : Yoga has been declared "haram" in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, which is one of two on the island of Borneo.

Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 10 : The outlawed Hindraf and the Penans of Ulu Baram in Sarawak have jointly been awarded the Suaram's Human Rights Award 2008.

Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 9 : The North Western Malaysian state of Kedah has been approached to declare a holiday on the occasion of the Tamil festival of Thaipusam.

The chief Parti Keadilan Rakyat Lunas unit in Kedah, S. Neelamegan, described Thaipusam as an important festival for the Indian community, adding that it was the responsibility of the state government, now led by PAS, to consider the request made via a memorandum.

Ace Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan on Saturday become the first foreign actor to be conferred a Malaysian title, ‘Datuk,’ which is often equated with the British knighthood

Resplendent in a black baju Melayu, samping and songkok, King Khan received the title of ‘Datuk’ from Mohamad Khalil Yaacob, the Governor of Malaysia’s southern Malacca State, during a special ceremony in Malaysia.

Baju Melayu is just like ‘kurta-pajama’, while ‘samping’ is a piece of cloth men folded around the wearer’s waist, falling to the length of the long shirt.