KINI ROUNDUP Here are the key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

Ringgit plunges to January 1998 levels

The ringgit traded at RM4.48 to the US dollar, the worst since the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998, but Second Finance Minister Johari Abdul Ghani cautions against panic.

Johari said the ringgit can bounce back if political stability is intact and the right policies continue to facilitate investors.

World senior economist for Malaysia Rafael Munoz Moreno said the ringgit’s recovery depends on external developments, such as the new US administration and Brexit.

Moreno said Malaysia’s economy has slowed, but has remained robust.

BN leaders insist on consensus to amend Act 355

BN component party leaders insist there must be coalition consensus on the bill to amend the Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Bill 355).

They rebut Umno supreme council member Ahmad Maslan, who said BN backbenchers cannot oppose the bill in Parliament once it is taken over by the government in the next session.

As such, veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said the BN supreme council should seek an emergency meeting on the matter.

PAS won’t enter electoral pacts

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the party would continue to oppose the BN without any need to enter electoral pacts, especially with nemesis DAP and PAS splinter party Amanah jeopardising efforts to set straight fights in GE14.

This comes as PKR said it has no qualms giving up seats for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, which has signed an electoral cooperation deal with the tripartite Pakatan Harapan.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali also said he is open to exploring the idea of a PKR-Amanah merger, which an analyst said could soften PAS’ stand against cooperation.

Other Kinibites

Sikh NGO GerakSikh lodged a report against an author for claiming that Sikhism originated from Islam.

The Selangor government said some four million users, including those celebrating Christmas, have to endure water rationing from yesterday until Dec 24, because it had told Tenaga Nasional Bhd to delay the scheduled September repairs to December.

Former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom is wrong to say taking over the bill to amend Act 355 would remove the need to consult states on the amendments, since the states regulate matters concerning Islam.

British diplomatic cables show the UK government taking interest in the 1MDB case, but the government has refused to reveal more despite Freedom of Information requests by leading UK daily The Guardian.

Looking ahead

Activist Safwan Anang’s final appeal against his sedition charge will be heard in the Court of Appeal.

Some four million consumers in the Klang Valley face Day 2 of water rationing, which will continue until Dec 24.