Malaysia to set up election reform panel

Malaysian premier Najib Razak said his government will set up a bipartisan parliamentary committee on election reform, a month after police quashed a rally demanding changes to the polling process.
Najib said the panel, comprising government and opposition members, will have a mandate to discuss "everything that needs to be done," state media reported late Monday. The announcement comes after riot police last month used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the largest rally the country has seen in four years, arresting 1,600 people.