Muhyiddin passes confidence test, and other news you may have missed

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

1. The Budget 2021 proposal has been passed by the Dewan Rakyat, granting Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin a slim victory and raising questions on opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s political future.

2. Muhyiddin lauded the passage of the budget proposal saying Perikatan Nasional MPs cared for the people and heeded the king’s advice, while Anwar claimed government MPs voted in favour of the budget despite strong reservations because it has been erroneously linked to payment of civil servant salaries.

3. Ex-Top Glove quality assessor Yubaraj Khadka said he felt wronged by how his ex-employer terminated him after he blew the whistle on the company’s lack of social distancing measures, but believes he has done the right thing. Another glovemaker Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd confirmed a Covid-19 outbreak at its factories.

4. Spurred by a large outbreak at a single construction site, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Malaysia has hit a new record. The government plans to reopen certain tourism and sports sectors while introducing new procedures for temporary on-site quarters for construction workers.

5. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun said the three MPs under quarantine orders had Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s permission to attend parliament, while Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said there is precedent in granting exemptions to allow those under quarantine to leave their homes.

6. Five new exco members have been sworn-in in Perak, completing the 10-person line-up. All five had served in the previous administration under Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

7. Penang’s iconic ferry service will cease operations at the end of the year, to be replaced by three passenger-only waterbuses as the existing ferries are too expensive to repair.

8. Klang MP Charles Santiago is optimistic that the government will adopt his proposal to set up a rental relief fund for small and medium enterprises.

9. Several MPs have urged the government to reabsorb outsourced workers into the civil service, citing savings of up to RM500 million.

10. The late DAP stalwart Karpal Singh is set to receive a posthumous award from the Penang state government, which would carry the title “Dato’ Seri Utama”.