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

No media gag order on Najib's trial

The High Court has rejected the gag order application sought by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak on his corruption trial on grounds that it would violate freedom of speech and expression.

During court submissions, Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said his client was concerned with the administration of justice and alleged that his client was being subjected to a trial by media. The "oxygen of publicity", the lawyer argued, would have an adverse impact on the trial.

Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, who was at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to witness the proceedings, expressed surprise that her publication was mentioned by the defence counsel as justification for the gag order.

More calls for Umno to ditch Najib

Former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik emerged as the latest Umno personality to demand that the party distance itself from Najib, arguing that the latter's removal as a party member would send the right message to the public.

Former information minister Zainuddin Maidin said mounting internal criticisms against Najib was the manifestation of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's weak leadership.

Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang said Umno leaders should not just point fingers at Najib and accept that all BN leaders who once supported the former premier had abetted in covering up the 1MDB scandal.

Mujahid meets transgender activist, PM meets Temiar activist

Islamic Affairs Minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa met transgender activist Nisha Ayub and later publicly reiterated his position that society must stop discriminating transgender people at the workplace.

Nisha revealed that she never consented to her portrait being displayed at photographer Mooreyameen Mohamad's exhibition in Penang and would not challenge the government's decision to have it removed.

Some 200 members of the Temiar community from Gua Musang, Kelantan gathered near the Prime Minister's Department in Putrajaya and waited about seven hours for a meeting with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad over land encroachment issues.

After Mahathir finally met five of their representatives, the premier said land issues were state jurisdictions and pledged to do whatever he could to help.

Other KiniBites

Utusan Melayu Bhd told Bursa Malaysia that it was unable to service RM1.18 million in loans that were due yesterday and that an injection of about RM2 million from a private investor was on the way.

Several prominent legal fraternity figures said Sitpah Selvaratnam was one of the most qualified maritime law experts in the country and her pro bono service as 1MDB's lawyer on Equanimity's seizure should not be doubted.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has issued a guideline for broadcasters and filmmakers which, among others, discouraged the use of insults against political figures.

Several BN leaders told Malaysiakini that an article citing former Umno information chief Annuar Musa claiming that BN was "temporarily disbanded" was untrue.

Looking ahead

Mahathir is to visit the Equanimity, the RM1 billion super yacht linked to the 1MDB scandal, at Port Klang this morning.