Good morning, here's what you need to know today.

Key Highlights

• MCO returns in Kelantan
  
  
• Slow vaccination
  
  
• Disowning Icerd
  
  

MCO returns in Kelantan

Most of Kelantan will be under a full movement control order (MCO) again, beginning tomorrow, and last until April 29. Inter-district travel will be banned.

As of Tuesday, Kelantan had a Covid-19 infectivity rate of 1.14. The national infectivity rate is at 1.09, the highest since Feb 3.

It’s now apparent that trends have reversed from a recovery mode, with the infectivity rate staying above 1.0 for six consecutive days. A new Covid-19 wave may follow if not contained.

Kelantan broke ranks with Putrajaya to cancel Ramadan bazaars due to Covid-19 concerns but other states have proceeded.

Amid the deteriorating situation, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin reminded bazaar visitors to abide by the SOP while authorities warned of fines.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Mujahid weighs in on minister's private jet ride He relates his more humble trip to Saudi Arabia.
	Prosecution: Najib evasive on frozen SRC funds They were frozen by Swiss authorities.
	Court hears Najib's 'personal interest' in SRC It was as such from the onset.

Slow vaccination

If you think we can bite the bullet of another Covid-19 wave because vaccines are here, think again.

As of Tuesday, only an estimated 1.22 percent of the population were fully vaccinated.

Immunisation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin acknowledged complaints about the slow vaccination process and cited hoarding by rich countries.

Malaysia will only have enough supply to vaccinate 35 percent of the population by June. This should increase to 80 percent by November.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is trying to contain the spread of the South African variant of Covid-19 in Sepang and Kuala Langat, which can render the AstraZeneca vaccine, due to arrive in June, significantly less effective.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Migrant workers wary of the vaccination drive They still remember the mass arrests last year.
	Azmin: Vaccine priority for factory workers The focus is on Penang and Selangor.
	Guan Eng demands RM20m from Raja Petra This is over a series of articles on the Penang tunnel.

Disowning Icerd

Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who as the foreign minister oversaw Malaysia’s aborted attempt to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd), claimed he wasn’t responsible for it.

Instead, Saifuddin, who defected from PKR to Bersatu, blamed it on the Pakatan Harapan manifesto.

This sparked an argument on social media between Saifuddin and PKR’s Fahmi Fadzli, who pointed out Harapan’s manifesto never mentioned the ratification of Icerd but only “suitable international treaties”.

Meanwhile, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang asked Saifuddin to reveal who was the minister responsible if it wasn’t him.

Icerd is controversial because it was opposed by Malay conservatives in late 2018. It damaged the then Harapan government’s support and forced it to make a U-turn.

HIGHLIGHTS

	115 temples, shrines in KL built illegally - Santhara He said most were offered alternative sites.
	Single mum frets over teenage son on chain remand The family has spent thousands of ringgit for his freedom.
	Logging firms cancel bid to cite villagers for contempt They are engaged in a land dispute.

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 1,889 new cases yesterday (April 14), the highest in 40 days.
  
  
• Total patients in the intensive care unit broke 200, the first time since Feb 28.
  
  
• New cases outpaced recoveries for seven consecutive days. Active cases now at 16,696.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• The High Court in  Kuala Lumpur granted permission to Dhaya Maju LTAT Sdn Bhd to challenge Putrajaya's decision to terminate the firm's contract for the Klang Valley Double Tracking 2 (KVDT2) project.
  
  
• The cabinet finally instructed six ministries to study the effects of the cabotage policy on the digital and shipping industries after a second appeal by tech giants.
  
  
• Johor police said 34 cops who assisted fugitive gang leader Nicky Liow will face criminal action instead of disciplinary action.
  
  
• The Sarawak-based GPS said there is no place for Bersatu in the state after Bersatu supreme council member Zuraida Kamaruddin suggested her party could contest under the GPS banner.
  
  
• Women who pursue higher education in a female-majority environment may turn into lesbians. This is one of the controversial contents carried by the Health Ministry's education portal, which has since been suspended. 
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Think-tank: PM's 'no money' claim disingenuous 'There is a need to spend judiciously'.
	Malaysia's second-deadliest Covid-19 cluster ends The Pasai cluster in Sarawak claimed 25 lives.
	Zaid: Hadi conflating 'majority' with 'integrity' He counters Hadi's argument.

What are people saying?

	Factual errors and half-truths in our history textbooks By Ranjit Singh Malhi
	Do a thorough investigation on the Celcom-Digi merger By Paul Selva Raj
	Movement data indicates Covid-19 fourth wave coming By Malaysiakini readers

KINI LENS