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

Mustapa Mohamed quits Umno

Umno supreme council member Mustapa Mohamed quit Umno, saying that he believed the party was not moving towards becoming more inclusive and moderate.

Former Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Mohd Razlan Rafii said Mustapa, who is widely known as Tok Pa, should also step down as Jeli MP, while several other Umno leaders urged members to close ranks.

Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin pinned the blame on Mustapa’s departure on party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the recent overtures made to PAS.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Mustapa’s resignation came “a little late”, adding that he should have seen the ruin in Umno sooner.

Author defends 'Billion Dollar Whale'

Billion Dollar Whale author Tom Wright dismissed financier Low Taek Jho’s accusations that his book was hastily published, saying that it had taken three years of his and his co-author Bradley Hope’s lives.

Wright also suggested that then-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak had treated 1MDB like a slush fund, and was unaware of how much Low allegedly siphoned from it.

A report claimed that Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor may soon face up to 20 criminal charges, mostly pertaining to money laundering.

Malaysiakini has put in context the “evidence” Najib shared about monies said to have flowed into his back accounts.

Other Kinibites

Up to 15 people died and 33 were left hospitalised in Klang Valley after suspected poisoning following the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

The Meteorological Department warned motorists to avoid driving in open areas during bad weather after a storm caused fatal accidents in Perlis.

Looking ahead

Several ministers will be holding press conferences after the weekly cabinet meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be launching the National Women’s Day celebrations in Putrajaya.