Here are the key headlines you may have missed yesterday.

Jho Low offloads his US assets

The Wall Street Journal reported that flamboyant billionaire Jho Low is divesting his assets, including multi-million-dollar artworks, as investigation by the US authorities into 1MDB picks up steam.

In Singapore, where prosecution is already underway following the city-state’s investigation into matters linked to Malaysia’s troubled sovereign wealth fund, a court heard how a former BSI banker who facilitated 1MDB’s deals tried to cover his tracks.

Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua questioned why Malaysian police have yet to call key witnesses in the 1MDB scandal even though auditor-general Ambrin Buang said his office’s audit of the state-owned fund formed sufficient basis for a probe.

MB weighs in on ‘money and women’ claim

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali described claims that officials request money and women from those dealing with the state government as a systematic smear campaign.

He demanded that evidence be presented to back the allegation.

Azmi was responding to a leaked WhatsApp message sent by PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli, who raised concerns over the matter.

Rafizi confirmed he wrote the message and will hand over the evidence to PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, stressing that the ruling party must set high standards of integrity.

Uncertainty over by-election negotiations

Azmin said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang appeared not to know what was going on in his own party after the latter denied PAS and PKR were in negotiations over the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.

Azmin stressed that negotiations will go on until the last minute in the bid to prevent three-cornered fights in the two by-elections, which will be held on June 18.

Meanwhile, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the people may need to back PAS against BN in one-to-one contests if the Islamic party is adamant on fielding its candidates but expressed concern that PAS may betray the opposition and allow a walkover for BN.

Other Kinibites

Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed has denied that Putrajaya was imposing travel bans on government critics, stating that the ban only applied to those who violated the federal constitution.

Activist group Otai Reformasi accuses Bersih of deviating from its cause and is now promoting Mahathir, but the movement’s chief Maria Chin Abdullah denies this.

Sarawakian Kho Jabing was executed within hours after failing in his final appeal in Singapore. Kirsten Han, a freelance journalist, penned this eulogy.

The family of N Dharmendran, who died in custody with torture wounds where, among others, his ears were found stapled, has filed a suit against the police.

Looking ahead

Selangor PAS chief Iskandar Samad is set to attend a function in Shah Alam where he is expected to be pressed about the by-elections negotiations with PKR.