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

Gov't says no application from Dr M to meet Anwar

The Prisons Department said they did not receive any application from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad to visit de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim at the Cheras rehabilitation hospital yesterday.

Anwar, albeit being admitted for treatment, is still a prisoner, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed "reminded" Mahathir.

Anwar's lawyer N Surendran, in reply, then questioned why Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak visited Anwar last November if the latter was just a "convict".

Mahathir took to his blog to voice out on the matter, sarcastically saying that a meeting between him and Anwar would have been counterproductive for Harapan anyway, thus BN had nothing to fear.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he did not issue an order to stop Mahathir from seeing Anwar, as it is within the prison authorities' jurisdiction.

Johor could decide Bersatu's future

Analyst Wan Saiful Wan Jan said in a research paper that the future of Mahathir's party Bersatu could depend on whether or not it wins Johor in GE14.

Wan Saiful also said that the fear of DAP among Johor's Malays could dampen Bersatu's chances in the election.

Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that he, too, had ambitions to become PM, but not through "evil pacts".

Elections are meaningless in Malaysia, said an article in The Diplomat, citing gerrymandering and malapportionment as causes.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng acknowledged that his corruption hearing in March may affect his ability to contest in the general election.

Other Kinibites

The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya ordered Malaysiakini to pay a sum of RM350,000 in damages and costs to the Raub Australian Gold Mine (RAGM), reversing the Kuala Lumpur High Court's dismissal of the latter's claim.

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim was acquitted by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court over a blog post claiming PM Najib was a danger to the country.

An actor, who was recently awarded a "datukship", was arrested after he slapped a cop and kicked a civilian in a police station.

Animal welfare activists raised alarm over alleged poor conditions of animals at the Kemaman Zoo, including a solitary elephant calf being chained under the rain and orangutans kept in tiny cages.

Penang CM Lim Guan Eng dubbed the MACC raids over the tunnel project a political witch hunt to smear the state government's image.

Looking ahead

Human rights group Suaram will complain to Suhakam about alleged police inaction over a case involving a child.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali will attend a mosque handover ceremony in Gombak.