Key headlines that you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

Call to probe DPM and IGP on ransom money

Haniff Khatri, the lawyer to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, wants the authorities to investigate Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar over the ransom money allegedly paid to free Sarawakian hostages, citing Section 6(2) of the Kidnapping Act that makes payment of ransom an offence.

The DAP lodged a report against Khalid with the Malaysian Anti-Coruption Commission, insisting that the police and the government should be held accountable as the families were not informed that the RM12 million they raised for ransom was instead given to charity.

 

 

However, the government of The Philippines and its military claimed they are clueless that the families of the four Malaysians abducted by the Abu Sayyaf paid a large ransom to the separatist group for their release, The Manila Times reported.

PKR man gunned down

PKR's candidate for the Sarawak election Bill Kayong was gunned down at the traffic light near Emart One-Stop Shopping Mall in Senadin, Miri. Kayong, 43, who was the political secretary to Miri MP Dr Michael Teo, died on the spot.

A prophetic photo of the slain Native Customary Rights land activist surfaced of him, standing next to a banner that states "If Dayak must die, Dayak die defending NCR lands". Sarawak CID chief Dev Kumar urged members of the public not to speculate on the motives of the shooting, saying he would leave no stone unturned to find those responsible.

 

 

Thirteen Dayak non-governmental organisations in Sarawak condemned Kayong's murder which they say is akin to stirring a hornet's nest while at the same time, testing Dayak resolve.

Political leaders from across the divide called for swift justice over the murder of the father of two.

More Kini bites

In a show of goodwill, Muslims and Catholics gathered at the Archdiocesan Curia and Cathedral Pastoral Centre in Kuching to break fast, while a day later the Friendship Group for Inter-Religious Service hosted its annual interfaith breaking of fast and dialogue session at Masjid Putra, Putrajaya.

Hitting back at outgoing CEO Christoph Muller's "sleeping" comment, retrenched staff of Malaysia Airlines Bhd said that policy allows the airline's cabin crew and technical staff on long-haul flight and longer shifts to take some rest, the same policy as practised by airlines throughout the world.

Malaysiakini's World Refugee Day 2016 special report on refugees recounts the fates of those still held at the Belantik Immigration Centre, arriving on rickety boats after fleeing hardships in their homeland over a year ago.

Looking ahead

Today is the Islamic celebration of Nuzul Qur'an, commemorating the day that the first verse of the Holy Qur'an was sent to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH.