KINI ROUNDUP | Key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.
GE14 holiday
The Prime Minister's Office announced that May 9, the polling day for the 14th general election, will be a public holiday.
Prior to that, some 115,000 people had signed a petition requesting that May 9 be made a public holiday, as the midweek polling day would pose logistical challenges to voters.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said it was the Election Commission's right to set the polling day, despite criticism that the move is intended to suppress voter turnout.
AirAsia Group Co-CEO Tony Fernandes said AirAsia cannot provide free flights for the general election, but will try to keep prices down.
Bersih claimed it had already recorded 48 counts of election offences, despite campaigning yet to begin.
TMJ sponsors groceries
Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim made a surprise visit to Aeon Tebrau, and sponsored each shopper up to RM3,000 for purchases at the supermarket.
Caretaker domestic trade, cooperatives, and consumerism minister Hamzah Zainuddin dished out groceries with big discounts during the Putrajaya Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat programme.
BN touted its credentials to Sekinchan voters after securing the release of a local fisherman who was held by Indonesian authorities.
Local Umno leaders are lobbying to get the Tebrau seat from MCA, ahead of BN finalising its seat allocation for GE14.
The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) expressed concern at the "declining public confidence" in the Election Commission.
The latest edition of CalonKini features Shukur Mohamad, the son of the Johor speaker, who may face off with his own stepmother in GE14.
Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub is set for a rematch against BN's Nur Jazlan Mohamed in Pulai.
A violin owned and autographed by Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad's wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, fetched RM35,000 at a fundraiser.
Equanimity was in M'sian waters
The superyacht Equanimity that US authorities allege had been bought with stolen 1MDB funds, had entered Malaysian territorial waters in November last year.
Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein accused former minister Rafidah Aziz of harbouring a hidden agenda, after she accused the prime minister of privatising military land across the country.
Rafidah said she addressed her claim directly at the prime minister and demanded that he himself respond.
The BN strategic communications team claimed Rafidah was recycling an allegation which was previously circulated anonymously on WhatsApp.
The Anti-Fake News Act 2018 came into effect after it was gazetted.
Caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, when launching National Journalists Day, defended the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 to a room of media personnel.
Other Kini bites
Umno treasurer-general Salleh Said Keruak said Mahathir’s claim that BN will cheat in the election showed he was pre-empting Harapan’s inevitable defeat.
RON95, RON97 and diesel will remain at RM2.20, RM2.37 and RM2.18 per litre respectively for the fourth consecutive week.
PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said he is prepared to give out RM2,500 worth of BR1M per individual if the party were to win GE14 and he were made prime minister.
Pakatan Harapan moved to file contempt proceedings against the Registrar of Societies.
Perak BN chief Zambry Abd Kadir rubbished Perak Harapan's manifesto as “recycled” material.
Looking ahead
Najib continues his pre-election blitz in Kedah and Penang.
Suhakam's hearing into the disappearance of Amri Che Mat continues.
The Court of Appeal will hear PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's suit against the Court of Appeal.
