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

Seven-way battle in PD

Seven candidates, including PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim, will be contesting in the Port Dickson by-election.

Among the challengers are Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan – Anwar’s ex-aide who accused him of sodomy – and former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Mohd Isa Samad.

Saiful was booed by Anwar supporters when his name was announced during the nomination.

Hitting the campaign trail immediately after nomination, Anwar focused on state constituencies under Port Dickson being held by BN.

Isa – running as an independent after quitting Umno – also campaigned in the same areas, and downplayed concerns that the Felda scandal would hurt his chances.

MCA booed at Umno AGM

MCA earned boos at the Umno annual general assembly after no representatives from the party turned up.

The party’s deputy president Wee Ka Siong rebutted Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s claim he received MCA's consent to work with PAS.

Umno Youth said it opposed any “backdoor” route to Putrajaya, referring to Zahid’s plan to form a unity government with Pakatan Harapan.

Umno Puteri chief Zahida Zarik Khan, meanwhile, described leaders who quit the party as "political prostitutes."

After calls to take action against defectors, Zahid announced that Umno is suing MPs that quit the party.

Zahid doubles down on 'conservative' Umno

In his speech to the Umno assembly, Zahid accused other races of being prejudiced against Malays, and vowed that the party would remain exclusively bumiputera.

Former Umno president Najib Abdul Razak – who received a standing ovation at the assembly – said he expected his successor to speak the truth in his speech.

Zahid also addressed criticism he has failed to provide direction for Umno, stating that his “golden” silence indicated strength.

He also urged Umno members not to quit the party, claiming that an impending Harapan collapse would see the ruling coalition turn to them for help.

Other Kinibites

Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) chief Amar Singh called out Raja Petra Kamaruddin for being " demeaning and racist" after the blogger’s comments about his turban.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) criticised Umno for failing to provide a revival plan for its newspaper Utusan Malaysia despite its employees facing an uncertain future.

Lawyers for Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah threatened a RM100 million lawsuit against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown for suggesting in her recent book that she had links to 1MDB-linked businessperson Low Taek Jho.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that it would be best if Dr Mahathir Mohamad served his full five-year term as prime minister.

Mahathir said in an interview that it was "worth looking into" the criticisms against him when he served as the fourth prime minister for 22 years.

Looking ahead

PKR members in Johor will go to the polls to elect their leaders.

Campaigning for the Port Dickson by-election enters the second day.

The Umno annual general assembly enters its last day of session.