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

1MDB gets payment extension

The International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) extended the payment deadline for 1MDB until the end of this month after 1MDB could not come up with the US$603 million debt that was due to be paid by yesterday.

Pakatan Harapan MPs submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), urging it to reopen the probe into 1MDB.

They also requested that 1MDB president and CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy provides them with a briefing, following the session Kanda held with PAS leaders.

Both PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng questioned if PAS could grasp the 1MDB issue after its deputy president, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, declared that he was satisfied with 1MDB rationalisation plan.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad lamented that civil servants no longer have a sense of shame for being involved in corruption.

Lawyers acting for Mahathir and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim raised concerns of bias during the first day of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the forex scandal.

DAP prods MACC to probe Zahid's wealth

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it was not investigating Mahathir's claim that Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi possessed RM230 million in 1996 as there was no report lodged on this.

In response to this, DAP Youth lodged a report with the MACC in Perak.

Zahid, who is also home minister, declared that he, as well as his ministry and departments, are free of corruption.

Selangor Umno Youth lodged a report with MACC against state Menteri Besar Azmin Ali over a contract dispute.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak likened his office in Parliament to a "fish market" when it is budget time as many would approach him with high hopes.

Najib pledged he will meet the needs of the people and also rubbished the opposition's ability to keep its promise to do away with the goods and services tax (GST).

Najib also defended the government's decision to take a RM55 billion soft loan from China for the construction of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), calling it a game changer.

Unilateral conversion fallout

MIC president Dr S Subramaniam said he was disappointed by the decision to drop a proviso that would ban unilateral child conversion in the amendments to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 and said he would find a solution.

An updated version of the amendment, without the unilateral conversion proviso, was re-tabled in Parliament and is expected to be rushed through the current Dewan Rakyat sitting, which will conclude tomorrow.

Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the government is still committed to ending unilateral conversion of children, but it would do so by first amending the Federal Constitution.

DAP's Ipoh Barat MP M Kula Segaran said his party is prepared to support such a constitutional amendment and submitted a motion to restore the proposed proviso to the amendments of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976.

His party colleague, Klang MP Charles Santiago, accused the government of trying to appease PAS by dropping the proviso.

Other Kinibites

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail explained that the delays of the party members resigning from the PAS-led Kelantan government was due to reimbursement issues on their expenses.

The MACC will appeal Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's procedural win at the Court of Appeal with regard to his corruption case.

Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abd Rahim, in an interview with Malaysiakini, dismissed Bersatu's capability in generating a "Malay tsunami" against the ruling coalition.

The Malaysian Bar wants Putrajaya to walk its talk to do away with the mandatory death penalty by tabling a bill in the current Parliament session.
(walk its talk)

The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) proposed an inquest into the death of detainee K Partiban. (inquest)

Looking ahead

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will break ground for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project in Kuantan.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will receive US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Parliament.