Umno tussle heats up

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Key Highlights

• Umno tussle heats up
  
  

• Selling Covid-19 vaccines
  
  

• More help coming
  
  

Umno tussle heats up

Former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein is becoming a target as his faction tussles with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for control of the party.

A fake letter with the BN letterhead was circulated, claiming that the coalition was backing Hishammuddin as prime minister.

Hishammuddin's office denied issuing the letter, but Zahid’s faction zoomed in on the fact that Hishammuddin was silent on the admission of Umno's Nazri Abdul Aziz that BN MPs were being rallied to back Hishammuddin over Zahid.

Zahid also dismissed Nazri’s claim that 25 out of 42 MPs are now backing Hishammuddin, calling it a "cartoon story".

Nazri maintained his offensive, pointing out the contradiction between Zahid pushing for Parliament to reconvene and at the same time trying to delay the Umno elections.

Zahid is seen to be setting the table for Umno to quit the PN government while trying to fend off internal resistance.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Hisham wants cops to probe fake letter backing him as PM His office denies any link with the letter.
	Wan Saiful suggests Zahid's attempt to upend govt is treason He accuses Zahid of breaking Malay political unity.
	Parliament ready for hybrid sitting - Rashid Hasnon Parliament is finalising the technical aspects.

Selling Covid-19 vaccines

The government is starting to involve more quarters in the Covid-19 vaccination programme as supplies began to accelerate.

However, leakages are also happening with attempts to sell the Covid-19 vaccines provided by the government for free.

The Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force lodged police reports over such incidents, including by a private firm offering two doses for RM420.

Police have since arrested the alleged perpetrators.

At present, the private sector involvement is only in helping to administer the vaccine. Private sales are only expected in August.

There are now over 500 vaccination centres involving mega centres, community halls, private and public hospitals, clinics and malls with a peak of 250,000 doses administered daily.

HIGHLIGHTS

	14.5pct of the population received Covid-19 vaccine They have received at least the first dose.
	KL Bar secures priority vaccination for lawyers The arrangement is done with Mosti.
	Enhanced MCO in seven localities This includes five locations in Sabah.

More help coming

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin revealed that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will soon be announcing a new aid package.

This comes amid complaints from struggling businesses that they are not getting enough help during the “total lockdown” which started at the beginning of this month.

One popular demand has been for an automatic loan moratorium but Putrajaya has been reluctant on this.

To date, at least seven aid packages have been announced since last year, each with a shrinking direct fiscal injection as the government’s finances are strained from fighting the pandemic.

HIGHLIGHTS

	'Report Covid-19 spending transparently' Health Coalition wants govt to take heed.
	People acting like there's no pandemic shows success - Annuar He believes govt has done a fair job.
	Sabah Aidiladha sacrificial rites during MCO  Prayers will also be allowed with capacity limits.

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 5,841 new cases yesterday (June 24).
  
  
• Active cases rose for the first time in 19 days from 60,816 to 61,162. Prior to that, it had declined from 86,628 over 18 days.
  
  
• A total of 1,925 people have died from Covid-19 this month, making up 40 percent of the total deaths since the start of the pandemic in January last year.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• Former prison inmates, in a Malaysiakini special report, recounted their experiences in a crowded prison amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

• The government is appealing the court's decision that quashed a detention order because Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin used his "glamour name" instead of his real name.
  
  
• The Department of Environment is investigating an incident of dead fishes in Sungai Damansara that stretched over 5km.
  
  
• Malaysia and Indonesia will restart talks on signing a memorandum of understanding for recruiting domestic workers.
  
  
• Former minister Rafidah Aziz called on the government to exercise due diligence in hiring quality school teachers amid plans for a one-off mass recruitment to address shortages.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Mining project contrary to PM's vision - environment group It goes against the National Forestry Policy, says SAM.
	'Put a permanent moratorium on mining, logging in forests' PSM says these activities are damaging our forests.
	Action against religious insults, LGBT issues - Ahmad Marzuk PAS deputy minister says a task force has been set up.

What are people saying?

	Muslim countries' silence on Uyghur a mistake By Omer Kanat
	Parliament’s opening - a royal rebuke? By Syahredzan Johan
	Undi18: How much longer do we have to wait? By Nurul Rifayah & Lim Yue Kin

KINI LENS