King says Parliament can convene and other news you may have missed

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

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1. MPs laud the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after His Majesty said Parliament can convene during the emergency. The ball is in Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s court to set the date, although at least one MP thinks the king can decide without the prime minister’s advice.

2. As Malaysia’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign kicks off, the campaign’s coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin floats the possibility that the country may be ready for an election as soon as September, when half the population has been immunised and once the Health Ministry director-general thinks it is safe.

3. MPs and civil society groups are pressing for answers over the controversial deportation of 1,086 Myanmar nationals but have yet to decide whether to cite the Immigration Department for contempt.

4. A report claims that the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination paper for the History Paper 2 exam has been leaked just before the exam started.

5. Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki wants the government to fix the Form 4 history textbook that he claims to be glorifying communists by highlighting their role in fighting for independence and resisting Japanese occupation, while former education minister Maszlee Malik reminded Asyraf that the textbook’s contents were adopted by the BN administration.

6. After winning a land dispute against a group of Orang Asli in Bera, Pahang, the company Elite Agriculture plans to clear the land for oil palm cultivation next week but is still expecting resistance from the villagers.

7. Environmental lawyers have raised their concerns on the Lynas permanent disposal facility as contaminating water supply by radioactive or toxic substances is considered a criminal offence.

8. Fitch Solutions views the government decision to allocate 5G spectrums through a special purpose vehicle as a corruption risk that may drive up costs, but the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission says the move is focused on encouraging investment.

9. The government may appoint members of the public as protection officers under future amendments to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007.

10. The founder of the controversial dating platform Sugarbook, Chan Eu Boon, has been charged for allegedly inciting mischief.