Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's national carmaker and Dutch firm Detroit Electric on Monday inked a 1.2-billion-ringgit (331 million dollars) agreement to mass produce electric cars to sell in Europe, China and the United States.

The agreement calls for Proton to build 40,000 vehicles within the first year, all of which will be marketed under Detroit Electric's own brand and launched in Europe and Asia from next February, and in the US three to six months later, said Albert Lam, chief executive of Detroit Electric.

Kuala Lumpur, Mar 28 : Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) leader P. Uthayakumar has filed a fourth habeas corpus application in the Malaysian High Court to secure release from detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Uthayakumar has filed a notice of motion, a supporting affidavit and a certificate of urgency at the court’s criminal registry through his lawyer N. Surendran on Friday, The Star reported.

In the notice of motion, Surendran applied for his client to be freed immediately due to his worsening diabetic condition and injury on his left foot.

Dhaka  - Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday urged Malaysian authorities to reconsider the cancellation of visas for more than 55,000 Bangladeshi workers during the economic crisis, officials said.

Moni met Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin bin Mohd in Kuala Lumpur as part of Bangladesh's diplomatic efforts to protect its overseas labour markets, a release issued by the embassy in Malaysia said.

Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced Saturday that he would resign Thursday, paving the way for his deputy to become the country's new premier.

Abdullah said he would seek an audience with Malaysia's constitutional monarch, King Mizan Zainal Abidin, on Thursday to convey his intention to relinquish his post as prime minister.

Abdullah, who has been in office since November 2003, said a ceremony to transfer power to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak would be held later but declined to give a date.

Kuala Lumpur  - The spiritual leader of Malaysia's hardline Islamic party has slammed Muslim smokers as being worse than defecating cows, a news report said Friday.

Smoking is banned in Islam because it is hazardous to one's health, said Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the respected chief minister of the northern state of Kelantan and spiritual leader of the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia.

Singapore - A Malaysian mother and daughter pleaded guilty Friday to maid abuse in Singapore as their trial was under way, a newspaper reported.

Housewife Loke Phooi Ling, 38, was charged with 32 counts and Teng Chen Lian, 67, with six counts of abusing their 23-year-old Indonesian maid from March to July 2007. They pleaded guilty after nine days of testimony in their trial in Singapore District Court, the Straits Times said.