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

American lawyer joins Anwar’s legal team

Prominent US lawyer Kimberly Motley, who is part of jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s legal team, was disappointed as neither Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi nor his deputy were at their offices in Putrajaya yesterday afternoon to receive her complaint over not being allowed to meet her new client at the Sungai Buloh prison.

Motley believes there is overwhelming evidence that Anwar did not commit sodomy for which he is serving a five-year prison term. The US-based lawyer questioned the veracity of accuser and prosecution star witness Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan and the integrity of the DNA evidence used to convict the ex-DPM.

Penang to ban 'Ah Long' developers

The Penang government will come down hard on developers who are planning to become moneylenders by providing loans as high as 18 percent interest per annum to home buyers. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said his administration will not allow BN to turn the state into an "Ah Long society".

Meanwhile, RAM Rating Services Bhd predicts the credit risk level of developers who embark on a money-lending exercise would most certainly rise, though it noted that not many developers have the capacity to provide mortgage financing on a large scale.

Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Noh Omar clarified that his idea for developers to be issued money-lending licences to allow them to extend loans to house purchasers was not new, and selected developers were already licensed to do so.

More Kini Bites

Jaringan Orang Asal Semalaysia (Joas) is rallying to raise funds for prominent native rights lawyer and former Baram parliamentarian Harrison Ngau who is hospitalised for a "brain infection". Ngau, who is now in the intensive care unit at Timberland Hospital, is conscious and able to talk.

Siti Noor Iasah Mohamad Ariffin, 27, won the second heat of the women's 400m finals qualifiers in the T20 (intellectual disability) category at the Paralympics Games in Rio de Janeiro, setting a new Asian record of 58.96s for the event.

Malaysian film 'Redha' continued its winning streak on the international stage by taking home the Best Actor in a Male Ensemble Cast award, President of Tatarstan Republic Prize for Humanism in Cinematography and the Special Prize of the Russian Film Critics' Guild at the Kazan International Muslim Film Festival in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan.

Looking ahead

Noh will be presenting his plan on issuing money-lending licences to property developers to allow them to loan money to house buyers who cannot get bank loans, to the cabinet for feedback and approval today.