150 TV CHANNELS: (Dec 26) Malaysian television viewers will have access to over 150 channels by next year as the country’s rapidly growing broadcast industry continues to develop. The presence this year of two new pay-TV stations, MiTV and Fine TV, has provided more alternatives for the country’s 5.5 million television-owning households. Analysts regard the rapid growth in the industry as a good sign that it is line with Malaysia’s aspiration to be a developed country by 2020.
PAY FOR MYKAD: (Dec 28) Dec 31 is absolutely the last day for free MyKad application. Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said there would be no extension of the deadline, so those who applied for MyKad after that date would be levied a fee to be set by the Government. Azmi also said that the old identity cards could still be used after Dec 31, adding that the Government had yet to set a date when such ICs would no longer be valid.