Good morning, here's what you need to know today.

Key Highlights

  • Ahmad Maslan freed

  • Special courts missing

  • KL temple tussle



Ahmad Maslan freed

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan has been freed of two charges of money laundering a sum of RM2 million and giving a false statement to the MACC.

The RM2 million had allegedly been given to him by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and is linked to the 1MDB case.

The case against him was dropped after he agreed to pay an RM1.1 million compound.

The MACC revealed that a similar settlement was offered to Ahmad in 2019, but he refused to accept, preferring to stand trial instead.

The decision to settle may be linked to the Pontian MP's bid to get installed as a Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker.

Bersatu had rejected Ahmad's nomination on account of the money laundering charge.

It remains to be seen whether they will be swayed by yesterday's outcome.

HIGHLIGHTS

MACC concludes missing RM25m probe
The case is now with the AGC.
MACC seeks to better explain high-profile cases
'People need to know its challenges.'
Jho Low was at Sept 2009 1MDB meeting 
1MDB's ex-secretary confirms this.

 



Special courts missing

In 2017, the judiciary and government had agreed to set up special courts in every state to deliver swift justice in cases of sexual crimes against children.

However, to this day. There are only two - one in Putrajaya and the other in Kuching.

Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said lamented that this meant many children who are abused during the pandemic could not get justice quickly.

She also took a potshot at the government, saying a minister who could not deal with this problem should not be a minister.

During the first six months of last year, more than 1,700 cases of sexual crimes against children were reported.

HIGHLIGHTS

Equal citizenships or none at all - Azalina
MP asks if Malaysian women are inferior.
MP moots mandatory women candidate quota 
Parties need to meet the quota to contest.
First women’s tribunal to be held on Nov 27
It aims to highlight women's rights.

 



KL temple tussle

A tussle over disputed land involving a Chinese temple has made headlines for the past two days.

The disputed land in Salak South is reportedly a strip of land between the Chee How Temple and SJKC Tai Thong.

The land is said to be owned by the government, which has reserved it for the construction of a new secondary school.

The temple, however, has occupied the land - which has been paved - as its own and has even set up a gate.

Attempts to set up construction hoarding next to the temple led to a fracas after a group stepped in, believing that the authorities wanted to demolish the temple.

Six people have been arrested.

HIGHLIGHTS

Selangor wants more urban schools
Students exceeding classroom capacity.
Warisan objects to bumi equity rule for freight firms
'Affirmative action must be done fairly.'
Rapper Arunboii tackles stereotypes with rhymes
Hit single 'Enge Port' has 420k views.

 


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 12,434 new cases yesterday (Sept 29)

  • New cases are trending down throughout the country, except in Sarawak, where hospitalisations, ICU use and ventilator use continue to trend upwards.

  • Apart from Putrajaya and Terengganu, the R-naught is below 1.00 in other parts of the country.


What else is happening?

  • Malaysiakini explores Raid Forums, a platform where personal data is being traded. It's where the sale of leaked National Registration Data was advertised.

  • The NRD has denied that the data leak of MyKad information came from its end. The Armed Forces and the Companies Commission of Malaysia have also denied alleged leaks of their data.

  • The Election Commission - which was also the victim of an alleged data leak - is conducting an exercise to verify the information for Malaysians aged 18 and above next month, in preparation for automatic voter registration.

  • Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman claimed that MPs don't want to retire, even after decades in the Dewan Rakyat, in order to reap large pensions.

  • The Health Ministry debunked claims that teenagers died from Covid-19 vaccines as a blatant lie. The teens who died in Perak had not been vaccinated yet.

HIGHLIGHTS

Clarification: Seri Perdana renovations cost RM38.5m
Minister says dire repairs are needed.
105 custodial deaths in the past 2 years
This year, so far 42 such deaths were recorded.
Reform deal in Parliament by March
High hopes to eliminate party hopping.

 


What are people saying?

Khairy shows us that competence matters
By James Chai
My children and the mosque
By Fa Abdul
Bumi-to-bumi shares sale not the right approach
By Malaysiakini readers

 


CARTOON KINI