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

Dr M probed for fake news

Police are probing Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad for allegedly spreading fake news, after claiming that a jet he chartered was sabotaged last Friday.

Mahathir told The Guardian that he might need "two or three years" to do the things he wants to do as prime minister if Harapan emerges victorious in the May 9 polls.

Asked in the same interview about PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's alleged homosexuality, the former premier said that is what he was told, as he did not personally examine the latter.

Mahathir also wrote to the generals of the Armed Forces, urging them to allow their troops to vote freely without pressure to support any party.

The Harapan chair and Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz – who made a shock move from PAS to Amanah last week – were lined up for the same ceramah in Putrajaya, which is scheduled to take place later today.

Johor almost in Harapan’s sights

A Merdeka Centre survey showed that Pakatan Harapan is getting closer to the threshold needed to capture Johor in the coming 14th general election.

The survey also found that while support from Indians in Kedah for the coalition has surged, backing from Malays is only increasing gradually.

A separate study by Universiti Utara Malaysia predicted that Kedah will be faced with a hung assembly after GE14.

Caretaker menteri besar Khaled Nordin dismissed the possibility of a 'Malay tsunami' happening in Johor.

The presence of Umno splinter party Bersatu is proving to be a “gamechanger” for Harapan’s election campaign, said PKR Kulim-Bandar Baharu candidate Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Other Kinibites

Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin said that he joined Harapan’s campaign trail because he does not agree with the recent redelineation of electoral boundaries and the passing of the Anti-Fake News Act 2018.

The Election Commission officer who prevented Harapan Rantau candidate Dr S Streram from entering the nomination centre last week was a former Umno Youth information chief, according to PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

Fuel prices remained the same for the seventh week, ahead of the May 9 polls.

Berjasa cried betrayal after its main Gagasan Sejahtera partner PAS only allocated it five seats for the coming election when it had asked for 17.

Harapan conducts its campaign in dimly lit areas or prefers low-profile, face-to-face lobbying for votes in rural Kedah, as many villagers are afraid to be seen openly supporting the opposition.

Looking ahead

PSM's S Arutchelvan will launch his manifesto in Semenyih.

Amanah will hold an “explosive” press conference at the Adamson Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Mahathir’s campaign trail continues with ceramah in Putrajaya and Pantai Dalam.