SNAPSHOT | Sports court finds Fifa sanctions against FAM 'reasonable'

KINI SNAPSHOT | What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 9am, 2pm, 6pm and 9pm.

9pm

Sports

• The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), which is headquartered in Switzerland, has partly upheld the sanctions imposed by the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven “heritage” players accused of using fraudulent documents to play for Harimau Malaya.

  In a statement, the CAS said the panel found the 12-month ban against the players was “reasonable and proportionate”, given they were complicit in falsifying their eligibility documents. This was despite FAM’s representations that the players had a limited role in preparing the documents it requested.

  

  However, the CAS panel ruled that in accordance with Article 22 of the Football Disciplinary Code, the ban should apply only to official matches and not all football-related activities. The 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.8 million) fine against FAM remains in place.

  “This means the players can resume training with their respective clubs during the ban,” it said.

READ MORE: FAM executive committee members resign en masse

‘Heritage’ players row: EAIC summons FAM sec-gen, Immigration Dept

Court

• The defence in the corruption case against the late Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin’s widow, Zizie Izette Abdul Samad, has closed its case after she testified as the second defence witness today.

  Bernama reported that Sessions Court Judge Rosli Ahmad has fixed April 24 for the prosecution to file written submissions, May 8 for the defence’s reply, and May 18 for oral arguments by both parties.

  Zizie was accused of three charges of abetting her late husband, who had faced three charges of accepting RM2.8 million in bribes from Public Mutual agent Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar and her business partner Madhi Abd Hamid to secure Felcra’s approval for a RM150 million investment in Public Mutual unit trust funds.

  

  The charges against Bung were dropped following his death last December.

READ MORE: Bung’s widow tells court RM2.8m ‘introduction fee’ was voluntary, lawful

Government

• The National Finance Council (NFC) has agreed to increase federal grants provided to state governments, which is expected to reach RM10.5 billion this year.

  “This increase follows the rise in the capitation grant rate starting in 2026, as outlined by the Madani government,” Bernama quoted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as saying, after chairing today’s NFC meeting.

  Federal grants had previously increased from RM8.1 billion in 2022 to RM10.3 billion last year.

  Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry said all grants under the Federal Constitution’s concurrent list will be disbursed earlier this year, in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign. The federal government will also channel 100 percent of tourism tax receipts to respective state governments, instead of the current practice of channelling only 50 percent.

Middle East

• The Foreign Ministry is urging Malaysians stranded in the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict to register and update their contact details immediately with the nearest Malaysian diplomatic mission or the e-Konsular platform.

  It said it is working in tandem with diplomatic missions, governments in the Middle East, and airlines to evacuate Malaysians stranded in the region after flight suspensions and airspace closures amid the fighting.

  The evacuation efforts will be carried out using its database of registered Malaysians and will also include those wishing to return home, Bernama reported.

6pm

Politics

• Muhyiddin Yassin is no longer the Perikatan Nasional prime minister candidate, said coalition chairperson Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.

  In a brief statement on Facebook, Samsuri said he was referring to Muhyiddin’s earlier assertion that the PAS vice-president is not the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate.

  

  “Whoever the candidate is, our priority now is to strengthen PN and consolidate the consensus of the entire country in order to face the election with greater preparedness.

  “What is certain is that TSMY (Muhyiddin) is also no longer the prime minister candidate,” Samsuri said.

• Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz defended Muhyiddin’s words by saying that the party president’s statement was consistent with PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s views.

  Tuan Ibrahim had said that the Islamist party’s considerations did not include a “poster boy” for the prime ministerial candidacy, Tun Faisal said.

  Any selection for the position must first be agreed upon by the coalition via consensus, he said, adding that this includes Samsuri if PAS were to put forward the latter’s name.

  

  Besides, he said, the matter of PN’s prime minister candidate was not decided during the coalition’s supreme council extraordinary meeting on Feb 22.

  He added that Bersatu has never polemicised the issue of the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate, while stressing that Muhyiddin remains as the party’s top pick.

  “This decision was made based on merit, namely his long experience at the central and state levels, his proven ability in facing crises and the results of the people’s acceptance survey,” he said.

• In the escalating rift within Bersatu, the party’s entire Titiwangsa division committee has resigned from its posts, effective immediately.

  In a letter dated yesterday to Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali, former division head Ad Afnan Shaharuddin said the move was prompted by “due consideration to provide space for the reorganisation” of the division’s work.

  

  He was joined by 12 other committee members, as well as four other Kuala Lumpur division heads: Megat Qazree Zakaria (Maluri), Nor Azam (Kampung Bharu Selatan), Ad Afnadi Shaharuddin (Kampung Bharu Tengah), and Ad Adib Shaharuddin (Kampung Bharu Utara).

  Former Lembah Pantai division head Muqharabbin Mokhtarrudin told Malaysiakini that a division could be dissolved after two-thirds of its committee had resigned.

  “But central Bersatu’s logic is just following the laws of the jungle (when they’re) still saying that divisions are functional (despite committees resigning),” he said.

Court 

• Former housing and local government minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and two others have to pay RM50,000 in damages to Lim Guan Eng, after they lost a defamation suit filed by the latter against them today.

  The suit, filed in 2024, was over Zuraida’s statement on the government’s housing project during Lim’s tenure as the finance minister from 2018 to 2020.

  

  The Shah Alam High Court’s judicial commissioner, Shoba Rajah, in allowing Lim’s claims, found Zuraida’s statements defamatory and that the defendant’s defences in the case could not stand.

  The court also granted an injunction order against the defendants, restraining them from publishing the same statement, as well as RM5,000 costs to Lim.

  Apart from Zuraida, the other two defendants were the editor of an online news portal MalaysiaNow and its owner, Mnow Media Sdn Bhd.

• The Kota Kinabalu Election Court has affirmed BN’s Kunak assemblyperson Anil Sandhu’s victory during last year’s Sabah state election.

  The decision was delivered by judge Amelati Parnell in striking out a petition filed by Bustan @ Industan Lumantang, who had sought to nullify Anil’s victory by alleging non-compliance with election laws.

  

  In her ruling, Amelati said the failure to properly present the petition and to plead sufficient material facts rendered the petition procedurally defective and legally unsustainable.

  The court ordered the petitioner to pay costs of RM10,000 to the Election Commission, the Sabah state election officer and the returning officer, and RM20,000 to Anil.

  During the November 2025 election, Anil won a six-cornered fight by 2,118 votes, unseating then-incumbent Norazlinah Arif from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

• Singer-songwriter Namewee intends to submit a representation to review two charges of drug possession.

  Kuala Lumpur magistrate Atiqah Mohamed @ Saim set April 8 for the prosecution to inform the court of any developments regarding the representation.

  Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of possessing 0.78g of Sildenafil, an erectile dysfunction medication.

  

  He also claimed trial to an amended charge of possessing 1.57g of methamphetamine.

Economy

• Bank Negara’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to maintain the country’s overnight policy rate (OPR) at the present rate of 2.75 percent.

  It said the Malaysian economy is expected to maintain its growth momentum from last year and moderate inflation for this year, but also faces risks and uncertainty from global developments, including the recent conflict in the Middle East.

  

  “The impact on the global and Malaysian economy will depend on how these developments evolve. The Malaysian economy is facing these challenges from a position of strength, with robust domestic growth, moderate inflation, a sound financial sector, and a resilient external position.

  “At the current OPR level, the MPC considers the monetary policy stance to be appropriate and supportive of the economy amid price stability,” it said in a statement.

2pm

Government

• “Once we walk into Putrajaya, we will cancel the Lynas project,” said Anwar Ibrahim, decked in green with then Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh standing by his side.

  The remarks were made at an anti-Lynas protest 14 years ago. The blast from the past came from Green Party pro tem secretary Abdul Razak Ismail, who uploaded a clip of Anwar’s past remarks on Facebook yesterday.

  This comes after the Anwar-led government renewed Lynas Malaysia’s contract for another 10 years.

  

  Razak, once an Anwar stalwart, quipped: “Many who wore green t-shirts once upon a time have ‘passed away’, and some have ‘gone to hell’.”

  Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang denied that the 10-year licence extension for Lynas was a betrayal, claiming that what was opposed in the past was the continuous accumulation of radioactive waste in the country.

• Anwar said he has ordered the cabinet to ensure that all ministries and departments try to include Felda settlements in any new projects.

  “Any government facilities, be it education, social, (and so on), don’t neglect Felda,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama at a Felda event in Kuala Lumpur today.

Corruption

• DAP remains adamant that the government must establish a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate allegations that MACC is colluding with a “corporate mafia” to shake down business rivals.

  In a statement today, party secretary-general Anthony Loke said the position was decided on at the central executive committee (CEC) meeting held last night.

  

  DAP had raised the matter in the cabinet last week, but the government’s position is that an RCI will only be considered once an internal probe on MACC chief Azam Baki’s shareholdings is completed.

• DAP Youth has warned the MACC against political witch-hunting, saying that the methods used in recent high-profile investigations risk creating a climate of fear among the rakyat.

  In reference to MACC putting out a wanted alert against former economic minister Rafizi Ramli’s ex-aide James Chai, DAP Youth chief Woo Kah Leong said that the individual was not a fugitive like financier Low Taek Jho (Jho Low), and that the probe was disproportionate.

  

  “When investigations are conducted in a manner that risks eroding public confidence, the Unity government will inevitably bear the political consequences and face legitimate questions from the rakyat,” Woo said.

READ MORE: COMMENT | 'I am not Jho Low 2.0': Why PM and Azam are after me

• Bersih has warned that utilising the MACC to target political staffers under the guise of national interest while ignoring the rot at the top of the anti-graft agency is a “betrayal of the Reformasi spirit”.

  Raising concerns that the timing of MACC’s notice against Chai implies a “retaliatory pattern” where the commission is weaponised against those who demand its accountability, the watchdog stressed that Anwar and his government cannot claim to be fighting corruption while shielding its top enforcement official from the same level of scrutiny “selectively imposed” on others.

  

  It also asserted that public confidence in the MACC is at a low point as “grave allegations” in reports by Bloomberg have yet to be investigated transparently.

  As such, it reiterated calls for Azam’s immediate resignation, a reform of the MACC, and the establishment of an RCI to probe all outstanding allegations.

  It also urged a halt to harassment against Chai and journalists, labelling the notice issued on the former aide as a “tool for public shaming.” 

‘Na’imah Move’

• Police have recorded a statement from a person allegedly linked to a purported plot to topple the government.

  Free Malaysia Today reported Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail as saying the person came forward voluntarily shortly after a police report was lodged.

  

  He added that police have several individuals they plan to interview.

READ MORE: 'Mother of all lies': Lawyer denies Na'imah plotted to topple govt

Court

• Bersatu withdrew its originating summons filed against Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul over his decision to retain five former party members’ parliamentary seats after they pledged support for Anwar in 2023 and Jan 2024.

  Lawyer Chetan Jethwani, representing the party’s representatives Ronald Kiandee and Suhaimi Yahya, who filed the suit, told Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning that they had no choice but to withdraw the matter.

  

  The withdrawal, Chetan said, followed a Federal Court’s decision on Jan 9 this year that dismissed the party’s application for leave to pursue a judicial review over a similar matter.

  Judge Mahazan Mat Taib then ordered the party to pay RM10,000 costs to the respondents in the case, namely Johari, Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang MP), Zahari Kechik (Jeli MP), Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang MP), Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar MP), and Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang MP).

  Reporting by Farah Solhi

9am

READ MORE: COMMENT | 'I am not Jho Low 2.0': Why PM and Azam are after me

Hindu temple

• Penang Surplus Welfare Association (Surplus), the group behind the planned protest against a Hindu Temple outside the Bukit Mertajam Hospital this Saturday, has not indicated that they will back down despite police advising them not to proceed with the rally.

  In a Facebook post this morning, the group’s chairperson, Sophian Zain, said there will be no compromise on land encroachment.

  He also warned that politicians defending unauthorised temples will be punished at the polls.

  Gerakan Anti-Rumah Anutan Haram (Garah) spokesperson Haniff Khatri Abdulla said Saturday’s rally will be a peaceful protest protected by law and should not be prevented by police.

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