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

Najib laments not being able to speak about 1MDB

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, in a Facebook post, lamented not being able to speak freely about the 1MDB issue, with 21 charges related to the scandal, hanging over his head.

Najib, in yet another posting, also urged the Finance Ministry to make the government's financial statements from January to July this year, public, in light of allegations of a drastic drop of funds in the Consolidated Reserve Account.

The Pekan MP then questioned the “silence” of Pakatan Harapan lawmakers, against the Federal Court ruling that the government, be it federal or state, can sue individuals for defamation.

BN finalised its shadow cabinet that consists of MPs from Umno, MIC, MCA and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, but Najib was excluded from the list.

Reuters reported that Malaysia Airlines Bhd's provisional deal to purchase eight Boeing 787 jets, as pledged by Najib during a visit to Washington when he was PM, has lapsed, and the airline is now seeking for alternatives.

PAS to contest in PD by-election

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang announced that the party will field a candidate in the Port Dickson by-election, as decided by its central committee.

Meanwhile, former MIC secretary-general Kumar Aamaan announced that he is not going to contest as an independent in the by-election, as Umno is sitting out the polls.

Stevie Chan, who is standing as an independent against Anwar in PD, released his manifesto today, adding that he wants to defeat the PKR giant in the Oct 13 polls.

Umno's decision to stay out of the Port Dickson by-election has fuelled talk that some factions within Umno, PKR and PAS are talking about forming an alliance in the future, said prominent Malaysia watcher Bridget Welsh.

Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa said the party's former vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein's remark against BN's boycotting of the PD polls, was the latter's “ personal opinion”.

Other Kinibites

Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor was questioned by the MACC at its headquarters in Putrajaya for almost 13 hours.

A Dubai-based jeweller is seeking the return of items worth more than US$5million, which were purportedly hand delivered to Rosmah in March this year.

Local independent publishing house ZI Publications is set to launch the Bahasa Malaysia translation of Tom Wright and Bradley Hope's Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World, in November.

Newly appointed Election Commission chairperson Azhar Harun denied being the person in viral photographs depicting a man consuming alcohol and partying with women.

The Federal Court ruled that the government, be it federal or state, can sue individuals for defamation.

Looking ahead

Both PAS and Parti Rakyat Malaysia will announce their respective candidates for the PD by-election.

Former MCA president Chua Soi Lek will hold a press conference.

Anwar will attend the launch of a book on the May 13 racial riot tragedy.