Awkward Umno AGM
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Key Highlights
Awkward Umno AGM
Scholarship confusion
LCS revisited
Awkward Umno AGM
Last month, the government parties held a unity convention at the KL World Trade Centre - Umno's headquarters - in an attempt to show that they've moved past old rivalries.
The Umno general assembly held at the same venue over the last week, however, showed otherwise.
While Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke were among the guests who waved the Umno flag at the main body meeting, it was clear that not everyone in Umno appreciated their presence.
Umno grassroots' lingering doubts about working with DAP were aired openly, while jailed former premier Najib Abdul Razak - a divisive figure for the government's supporters - was put on a pedestal.
There was also some friendly fire within Umno after Ahmad Maslan blamed the previous government's decision not to hold GE15 sooner as a reason for the party’s poor performance at the polls.
Ismail Sabri Yaakob - the prime minister at the time - said Ahmad's argument was too simplistic.
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Scholarship confusion
Putrajaya appears not to have got their messaging straight on whether or not to continue giving Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships for students pursuing medicine, pharmaceuticals, or dentistry.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Duties) Armizan Mohd Ali told Parliament in a written reply that the PSD’s decision was made due to medical personnel oversupply from 2026 to 2030.
However, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim later clarified that this was the previous administration's decision and that the scholarships would continue.
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LCS revisited
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) visited the site of the long-stalled littoral combat ship (LCS) project for a second time to evaluate its progress.
Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) will be giving the government and the PAC a progress report every three months.
The PAC plans to table the report in the October Parliament session.
Meanwhile, PKR Youth has asked Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman not to "shift" goalposts in his quest to get Parliament to debate the project.
Separately, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli denied defaming a woman he previously claimed to be the wife of a former minister with alleged links to the LCS project.
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Views that matter
 | By Bridget Welsh |
 | By Mariam Mokhtar |
 | By R Nadeswaran |
Other news that matter
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wants public university students to be given more freedom to voice out criticisms.
The MACC claimed that provisions under its governing act allow for some circumstances in which a suspect can be denied the right to have a lawyer present during interrogation.
The Home Ministry is engaging with Islamic scholars and religious teachers to work on a proposal to improve the administrative directive on the use of the word "Allah".
Shaik Abdul Rasheed Abdul Ghaffour will be the new Bank Negara governor starting July 1.
Malaysiakini and its special project arm Kini News Lab bagged four awards at this year’s Malaysian Press Institute-Petronas Journalism Awards for their reporting in 2022.
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