BANGKOK - THAILAND'S exiled former prime minister - still powerful two years after his ouster in a military coup - hopes to head off a new government led by his opponents with a telephone speech to tens of thousands of supporters, politicians said on Thursday.

Opposition Democrat Party officials acknowledged that the speech Saturday by ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra could hurt their plans to take power for the first time since Thaksin took office in 2001.

JAKARTA - INDONESIA and Malaysia agreed on Thursday to heighten intelligence cooperation to anticipate rising cross-border crime due to the impact of the global economic crisis.

Smuggling, human trafficking and piracy along their porous sea and land borders were among the main concerns as Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took part in joint border committee talks in Jakarta.

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S government drew flak on Thursday after admitting it spent US$1.68 million (S$2.5 million) a year on the prime minister's sprawling residence in the administrative capital Putrajaya.

Responding to an opposition query, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said RM6.01 million (S$2.5 million) was paid annually to state-linked developer Putrajaya Holdings for the residence's rental and upkeep.