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

Hisham says nothing to hide

Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he had nothing to hide over claims that the intelligence chief under his ministry allegedly received RM7 million from the prime minister's personal bank account.

Inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar accused Sarawak Report of "cooking up" stories after it alleged more senior police officers were in contact with a man suspected of racketeering protection. He said police were also hunting down members of secret societies.

On a reshuffle of the police leadership, Khalid said this was in preparation for the 14th general election.

Two police officers, who were initially commended for rejecting bribes, were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on suspicion of soliciting bribes.

Mixed reaction over Dr M-Nurul meet

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) hailed the positive outcome from a meeting between former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar in London but PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said such meetings should be done at the Pakatan Harapan level and not individually.

Mahathir also told UK-based newspaper The Guardian that he had no objections to his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim becoming prime minister.

Azmin also dismissed speculations that he may shift from his parliamentary constituency of Gombak to Ampang, quipping that he was more keen on the prime minister's seat of Pekan.

Azmin, who is also Selangor menteri besar, criticised Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen for complaining that he was being unfairly targeted in an audit as well as his allocations being frozen.

Meanwhile, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, in an apparent rebuttal to Azmin's insistence in maintaining ties with PAS, said the old Pakatan Rakyat coalition no longer exists as PAS is now siding with BN.

PAS deputy takes on Jasa

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man hit out at the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) for defending 1MDB but ignored the fact that the government's propaganda arm had used PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's statement to attack him.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Hadi painted the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) action on 1MDB as "foreign intervention" but had no qualms when the prime minister claimed he received billions in donation from Saudi Arabia.

The prime minister's aide Tengku Sarifuddin Tengku Ahmad said Lim should stop putting on an "opera" by publicly claiming that he planned to retire.

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli challenged Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman to a debate on whether institutional investors handling public funds should invest in former 1MDB subsidiary Edra Energy's initial public offering.

Other Kini bites

Former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said she had "learnt her lesson" and will no longer give interviews but did not explain why.

Health Ministry S Subramaniam said 23 government doctors will have to sit for SPM Bahasa Malaysia paper after the government reinstated the prerequisite.

Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the Tourism Tax will focus on luxury hotels as its guests can afford it.

Rural and Regional Minister Ismail Sabri filed a RM10 million defamation suit against Sabah’s Daily Express over the turtle egg controversy.

Tanjung Karang hospital was evacuated after a fan caught fire.

Looking ahead

Mahathir will be attending a book launch in Kuala Lumpur.

Police chief Khalid will oversee the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.