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

Tabung Haji to transfer RM19b in assets to SPV

Tabung Haji will transfer around RM19.9 billion in assets, including its land in the 1MDB-linked Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), to a special purpose vehicle under the Finance Ministry, revealed its CEO Zukri Samat.

Zukri also claimed that there have been no large-scale panic withdrawals since the dubious finances of the haj pilgrims' fund were exposed.

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin echoed the earlier call by some of his Umno colleagues who called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to find out the "real" financial status of Tabung Haji.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad questioned why PAS and Umno supporters are not staging a protest over the Tabung Haji scandal as they had last Saturday against the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

PAS' Kuala Nerus MP Khairuddin Aman Razali claimed the government's disclosure that Tabung Haji was facing a deficit of RM4.1 billion could be a "play on figures" to cover up its own failings.

Waytha claims he declared cars to MACC, the commission differs

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P Waythamoorthy said he had already declared his ownership of two cars to the MACC, but that these were not considered as assets by the commission.

However, MACC deputy chief commissioner (Prevention) Shamsun Baharin Mohd Jami denied Waythamoorthy’s claim, saying the minister had received his information on cars as not being assets to be declared from the GIACC (Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre).

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said elected lawmakers should declare everything to the authorities, even if they had no assets.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said he has three months from Oct 15 to declare his assets as he only just won the Port Dickson by-election.

On another matter, Muhyiddin said the issues plaguing the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) would be looked into and can easily be fixed once Budget 2019 is approved.

Other Kinibites

The MACC confirmed that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and former 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy would be charged today over the alleged tampering of the auditor-general's 1MDB audit report.

Deputy de facto law minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin told the Dewan Rakyat that the government would be re-establishing the professors' council, stressing that it will function as a “truly politically independent” body.

Nurini Kassim, who has been the head of the Corporate Affairs Department of the Employees Provident Fund since October 2015, will be the new Bernama CEO for a two-year term beginning Jan 1, 2019, it was announced.

Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, the firefighter who was severely injured after being attacked by a mob during the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple fracas in Subang Jaya on Nov 27, no longer requires the Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (vv-Ecmo) machine to support his lungs, the National Heart Institute (IJN), where he is being treated, announced.

Umno's Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman portrayed himself as a champion of the Indian community in the Dewan Rakyat, even calling himself an "ultra Indian".

Looking ahead

Najib and Arul Kanda are expected to be charged at two separate Sessions Courts in Kuala Lumpur.