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

RCI ends amid controversy

The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the forex scandal rejected a request from the lawyer of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to act against Special Affairs Department (Jasa) director-general Mohd Puad Zarkashi for alleged witness intimidation.

The RCI also wrapped up its hearing two days earlier than scheduled.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang questioned if the RCI was ended early to avoid calling up Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak – implicated by Mahathir as among those initially opposed to an RCI on the forex scandal – as a witness.

Mahathir, in a blog post, also questioned whether Najib offered UK Prime Minister Theresa May anything in their meeting, as he did with US President Donald Trump.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was hospitalised at Hospital Kuala Lumpur due to unstable blood pressure.

Rumours of Selangor defections

Umno information chief Annuar Musa promised more defections following the return of former Selangor menteri besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib to Umno after Mat Taib’s stints in PAS and PKR.

Annuar also said that Umno was thinking "inside and outside of the box" on recapturing Selangor.

PAS central committee member Zainal Abidin Kidam dismissed speculation that PAS will join forces with Umno in Selangor.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua also said that there was not an "iota of truth" to claims of defections to bring down the Selangor government.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak said opposition leaders quitting their parties was a sign that the people could not rely on them.

MCA veeps threatens to sue DAP rep

MCA vice-president Chew Mei Fun threatened to sue DAP's Damansara Utama state assemblyperson Yeo Bee Yin over a claim by Yeo that Chew had a role in the sale of a plot of land to Selangor MCA, allegedly at a low price.

Yeo, together with Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, who highlighted the issue, said they were prepared for the defamation suit.

Lawyer Siti Kasim threatened to sue PAS and its organ Harakah Daily for allegedly twisting her Facebook posting on the practice of korban (sacrifice).

In a civil suit brought against former general manager OC Phang, former Port Klang Authority chairperson Lee Kwa Beng testified that the Port Klang Authority should not have agreed to develop the Port Klang Free Trade Zone in a single phase due to its weak financial standing.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposed an amendment to the Education Act 1996 to require religious schools to register with the government.

Other Kinibites

MACC chief Dzulkifli Ahmad said the commission will seek Interpol's help in tracking witnesses in its investigation into a protection racketeering syndicate, in which the police are implicated.

Dzulkifli also urged the Selangor government to sign the corruption-free pledge without delay.

Sidang Injil Borneo requested that the government discloses documents that led to the decision to ban the use of the word "Allah" among non-Muslims in 1986.

An increment for civil servants was among the top requests for Budget 2018.

Bank Negara Malaysia will issue a guideline on the use of cryptocurrency by the end of the year.

Looking ahead

The Federal Court will hear lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan's challenge against her travel ban to Sarawak.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali will officiate a breastfeeding room at the Selangor State Secretariat building.

Inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun will attend the Royal Malaysian Police Innovation Day at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.