KINI ROUNDUP Here are the key headlines from yesterday you may have missed, in brief.
Ex-finance minister II speaks up against 1MDB
Former finance minister II Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah spoke up against 1MDB in the Dewan Rakyat, questioning the need for the problematic investment firm in the first place.
Claiming that he was under stress over the matter while in cabinet, Husni, who quit his post in June, also questioned if action was taken against 1MDB management for channelling funds to the “wrong places”.
Husni also warned that Budget 2017 would come to “nothing” if government funds were spread too thinly.
Gov’t may extend blacklist to pro-Bersih law firms
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the government will look into extending its vetting of pro-Bersih firms to include law firms.
Law firms found to have Bersih links may be removed off legal advisory panels, including for government-linked firms, Rahman said.
This came as Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali refuted Rahman’s claim that state governments also blacklist firms that have links to certain parties.
Umno veteran and former minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah rejected Rahman’s move to blacklist firms with Bersih ties, as long as the firms do not engage in illegal activity.
In a related matter, the minister gave five examples of Bersih’s partisanship, which included the Bersih leader speaking at opposition party events and urging rally-goers to vote against BN.
Other Kinibites
Treasury secretary-general Irwan Siregar Abdullah said increasing deficit recorded by non-financial public corporations is not a “ticking time bomb”, as claimed by Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, because these firms would be able to repay their loans once they recoup investments.
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad displayed two letters, marked “secret”, to prove his former number two Musa Hitam resigned as he was unhappy with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s appointment as trade and industry minister, not because Mahathir accused him of disloyalty.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin suggested Malaysia stops hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix as the returns do not justify the cost.
Looking ahead
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will attend Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The Registrar of Societies is expected to make a decision on former Sabah PKR chief Lajim Ukin’s application to set up a new party.
Vendors who supplied goods and services to the now defunct ABN Xcess will hold a demonstration over the non-payment of their dues in Puchong, Selangor.
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