Good morning. Here's what you should know today.

Key Highlights

  • PN claims Penang within its grasp

  • IRB 'inspects' Hamzah

  • 'Gambling' politicians

PN claims Penang within its grasp

Penang is ripe for a change in government, at least according to Perikatan Nasional.

The coalition said it was confident it can win almost 20 seats, in the 40 seat state legislature.

If PN pulls of 20 seat win in Penang, this will result in a hung state assembly.

They would need just one more seat to capture the state with a simple majority.

If they win the state, it is unclear whether Gerakan - which governed Penang from 1969 to 2008 - will be back at the helm, or whether PN would install the state's first Malay-led state government.

HIGHLIGHTS

Gerakan's Lau to run in Penang, confident of booting out Harapan
PN to capture Penang? Saifuddin calls out Muhyiddin's 'propaganda'
Muhyiddin says ex-MB Azmin must 'deliver' Selangor for PN

IRB 'inspects' Hamzah

The Inland Revenue Board paid a visit to opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin's residence last week and seized documents.

Hamzah, however, appeared to deny that it was a "raid" and is mulling legal action against media who used the r-word in their reporting.

Bersatu supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah, meanwhile, called the IRB action a "cheap political stunt" - a charge the tax collector denied.

Separately, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim denied that any enforcement action was targeted at anyone.

HIGHLIGHTS

M'sia has rare earth elements worth over RM809b - Nik Nazmi
Deputy MB: PAS’ rule, rare earth will make K'tan prosperous
Umno cannot depend on Harapan forever - Shahidan

'Gambling' politicians

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail alleged that there was political patronage for illegal online gambling.

The police and MACC are sharing information as they investigate the matter.

However, the identities of the politicians involved have not been disclosed.

Previously, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim alleged that PN's GE15 campaign funds were partly from gambling revenue.

However, the authorities have not yet substantiated this claim although Anwar insists he has evidence.

HIGHLIGHTS

Perlis lottery ban: M’sia to face revenue loss, social issues - Da Ma Cai
Gerakan urges PAS MP to apologise for 'tight uniform' remark
Zaliha: 'No problem' with nurse uniforms

Views that matter

What’s M'sian healthcare system’s most pressing issue?
By Zan Azlee
Going in circles - who can save us from ourselves?
By Martin Vengadesan
Pay interns, end modern-day slavery
By Malaysiakini readers

Other news that matter

  • A new Senate speaker will be appointed today, with former law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar slated to be the government's candidate.

  • The Orang Asli community in Bekok, Segamat are due to be evicted on Tuesday for "trespassing" on government land.

    Orang Asli in Mersing and Kluang were also reportedly served with the same eviction notice.

  • Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced an additional allocation of RM500 million to resolve the water supply issue in Kelantan.

    Putrajaya had already allocated RM1 billion for this purpose earlier this year, meaning the total allocation is now RM1.5 billion.

  • The suspect who died under MACC custody on Thursday succumbed to a heart attack, according to a post-mortem

  • Malaysia is no longer lumped in the lowest tier countries in the 2023 edition of the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report.

  • A group of 50 people held the inaugural Autistic Pride Day gathering in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to shed light and counter stigma about the difficulties faced by people with autism.

HIGHLIGHTS

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