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

1MDB dragnet widens

The 1MDB taskforce has confirmed that it has frozen a number of accounts belonging to Umno, several other political parties, associations and companies and individuals to facilitate ongoing investigations into alleged misappropriation of funds.

Police are also investigating 400 people, including at least four with the honorific title of Tan Sri, over the 1MDB affair, which include Umno members, their family members and a prominent businessman from Sarawak.

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng urged the authorities to reveal if the bank accounts of current and former BN component parties such as MCA, MIC, LPD and SUPP were being probed as well, in view of allegations made by Sarawak Report.

SUPP confirmed late yesterday evening that their bank account had been frozen for three months pending MACC investigations.

Amanah Youth wing urged the authorities to thoroughly investigate the bank accounts of all those alleged to have received illegal funds from 1MDB, including those of PAS leaders.

Najib's criterion for new Umno No 1

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, former Umno Najib Abdul Razak said his successor - who will be chosen today - must be someone who is capable of regaining the confidence of party members and Malaysians.

There is a strong possibility that the police will wrap up their money-laundering probe against Najib by next week and will lay down charges.

If the case against the former premier is successful, Putrajaya will try to sell off the luxury goods worth some RM1 billion seized from Najib in order to recoup money allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.

Former Umno information chief Annuar Musa claimed that he had confronted Najib on his so-called RM2.6 billion donation from foreign sources before.

Other Kinibites

Only one percent of 691 Umno members or supporters surveyed by pollster Merdeka Center said "honesty" and "trustworthiness" were an important criterion for Umno’s future leadership.

Umno presidential hopefuls Khairy Jamaluddin, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah took part in a televised debate last night.

An online poll by Malaysiakini involving 5,300 respondents revealed that most preferred Khairy as the next Umno president, while a survey by Ilham Centre believed that Zahid was the frontrunner.

In an exclusive interview, Tengku Razaleigh said the entire Umno leadership, which he was not part of, must take the blame for the party's poor performance during the May 9 elections.

1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy has been axed, five days ahead of the expiry of his contract.

Looking ahead

Some 165,000 Umno members will be voting for their divisional and national leadership today. Expect results at around 1am tomorrow.