Umno favours Saarani as Perak MB and other news you may have missed

KINI ROUNDUP | Here are key headlines you may have missed, in brief.

1. The Umno supreme council and the party’s Perak assemblypersons are backing Perak Umno liaison chief Saarani Mohamad to become the new menteri besar. Saarani has called for a halt to speculation on the political situation in the state.

2. Umno has also opted to maintain the present ruling coalition in Perak instead of working with Pakatan Harapan, while Bersatu said it is disappointed in the confidence motion in Perak and will respond by fostering closer cooperation with PAS.

3. Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak said the government’s decision to lift the ban on interstate and interdistrict travel shows it can no longer contain the Covid-19 outbreak, while new conditional movement control order restrictions allow unlimited seating at restaurant tables as long as the one-metre social distancing rule is observed.

4. Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai has apologised to Annuar Musa for claiming that 42 Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) land plots were sold since the latter became federal territories minister.

5. Opposition leaders are reviving calls for a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin after Fitch Ratings downgraded Malaysia’s sovereign rating.

6. The Employees Provident Fund has clarified that there are no changes to the eligibility criteria for its i-Sinar withdrawal facility for now, contrary to some media reports.

7. The MACC said it will begin investigating the "new development" behind the discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) of former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor on his RM1 million graft case.

8. Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has shot back at his critics on the demolition of a Hindu temple by telling them to go back to class and learn the nuances of Bahasa Malaysia.

9. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has clarified that not all of Malaysia’s RM3 billion allocation to purchase vaccines will be spent on the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, and its supply issues will not affect Malaysia.

10. The government has spent RM172 million to compensate for 17 failed 1Malaysia Housing Programme (PR1MA) projects.