Perak ruler rues 'leadership failure' and other news you may have missed

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

1. As Umno's Saarani Mohamad was being sworn in as the Perak’s new menteri besar, the state’s ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah said the frequent swearing-in ceremonies reflected a failure of leadership and made pointed remarks throughout his speech.

2. Also sworn in were the first batch of five new Perak exco members – one from Bersatu and four from Umno. Saarani has vowed to mend strained ties within his coalition and to retain his predecessor Ahmad Faizal Azumu’s budget.

3. A survey found that 86 percent of Malaysians are strongly in favour of compulsory vaccination against serious infectious diseases, as the number of new Covid-19 cases in the country hit a record high of 2,234 in a single day.

4. A different survey conducted by the National Security Council found that Malaysians are split on their views about the relaxed travel restrictions introduced on Monday, while Health Minister Dr Adham Baba has been quarantined after being identified as having had close contact with a Covid-19 patient.

5. Pejuang is taking the Registrar of Societies to court over alleged delays in registering it as a political party.

6. The budget for reviving the Special Affairs Department has been slashed from RM85.5 million to RM45 million before being passed in the Dewan Rakyat. It will be rebranded as Jabatan Komunikasi Komuniti.

7. The Perlis government will provide allocations to the three opposition assemblypersons in the state to enable them to serve their constituents.

8. Auditor-General Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid said his department has identified 153 issues in the Auditor General's Report 2019 Series 1, of which punitive action have been recommended for 11 issues.

9. Jeram assemblyperson Mohd Shaid Rosli has softened his stance on the sale of alcoholic beverages in his constituency, saying he was merely making a suggestion on behalf of his constituents.

10. Penang has refused to pay the RM50 million being charged by Kedah for raw water, saying the water is abstracted from within its borders and this is in line with international law.