pligg_validate does not return correct value

Pligg version 1.0.3

Before
function pligg_validate(){
 // returns the value for register validation
 return misc_validate;  
}

After
function pligg_validate(){
 // returns the value for register validation
 global $db;
 $sql = "SELECT `var_value` FROM `" . table_config . "` WHERE `var_name` = '" . $db->escape('misc_validate') . "';";
 $misc_validate = $db->get_var($sql);
 return return trim($misc_validate)=="true"?true:false;  
}