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

The cabinet has decided not to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) despite having promised to do so earlier.

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin said Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah should resign over Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's speech to the UN General Assembly over the Icerd gaffe.

Human rights lawyer and former parliamentarian N Surendran warned that Putrajaya was setting a dangerous precedent by bowing down to false arguments made by Icerd protesters.

The planned rally by Muslim NGOs, Umno and PAS on Dec 8 will now be a "celebration" rather than a protest against Icerd.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office announcing the Icerd U-turn was inadequate and an undertaking not to accede to Icerd must be made through Parliament.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim believed that the debate on Icerd was a "waste of time" and society should instead focus on the economy and wealth distribution.

Utusan blows lid off 1MDB audit

Utusan Malaysia published a report which claimed that the auditor-general's report on 1MDB was amended on former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's instructions.

Malaysiakini cannot independently verify this claim and has sought Najib's comments. He has yet to respond at the time of writing.

Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia will shut down all its state bureaus and its Terengganu printing plant as part of a cost-cutting measure beginning Dec 1.

Felda Global Ventures Bhd (FGV) has filed a suit against 14 of its former directors or executives to recover RM514 million.

Other KiniBites

Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham said that his wealth, with assets totalling RM82 million as detailed in MACC's website, was "clean".

Police yesterday questioned Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown for three hours at Bukit Aman.

Selangor's free water scheme will only be applicable to lower-income households from 2019 onwards.

Looking ahead

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be holding a special meeting with Federal Territories Umno in Kuala Lumpur today.