SNAPSHOT | Daim's daughter to be charged tomorrow over asset declaration

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

9pm

Corruption

• One of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin’s children, Asnida Daim, will be charged in court tomorrow.

  The matter was confirmed by her lawyer, Yu Ying Ying, New Straits Times reported, who said the charge would be framed under Section 36(2) of the MACC Act 2009 for allegedly failing to comply with a written notice from the MACC to declare her assets.

  Meanwhile, a report by Berita Harian claimed that two more of Daim’s children are also expected to be charged in absentia as they are believed to be overseas.

  

  Earlier, Bernama reported Asnida was seen arriving at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya this morning to provide a statement for investigations linked to the former finance minister. Daim’s three other children - Wira Dani, Amir Zainuddin, and Amin Zainuddin - were not spotted as of 12.30pm.

  Lawyers for Amir and Amin previously criticised MACC for issuing a statement that urged the public to provide details on their whereabouts.

  READ MORE: ‘Not a wanted list’: MACC details why trace notice issued to Daim’s associates

• Muda president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz has expressed her disdain at the possibility of MACC chief Azam Baki being appointed a senator.

  Speaking at a joint press conference with Pejuang today, she argued that such a move contradicts earlier assurances by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to eradicate corruption.

  

  “If he (Azam) is appointed as senator or reappointed as MACC chief commissioner, it would clearly show Anwar’s hypocrisy as prime minister, and that the Madani government is hypocritical,” she said.

  Amira added that Azam has been scrutinised internationally over the shareholding and corporate mafia allegations, which would shame Malaysians if he kept being appointed.

Law

• Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (Madpet) today argued that the debate over murder charges in fatal drunk driving cases overlooked a more important issue: justice for victims.

  The group highlighted that Malaysian laws, particularly Section 426A of the Criminal Procedure Code, provide for compensation. However, it said that in practice, victims often do not receive compensation, accusing public prosecutors of frequently failing to apply to the court for such orders.

  In a statement, Madpet coordinator Charles Hector said when applications are made, courts have the authority to assess compensation based on factors such as the nature of the offence, injuries suffered, expenses incurred, and property loss.

  He said courts may also enforce payment through instalments, property seizure, or other means. Importantly, victims retain the right to pursue additional civil claims beyond the compensation awarded in criminal proceedings.

  He also criticised the justice system for focusing on punishment rather than restorative justice, which includes repairing harm and addressing victims’ needs.

Sabah

• The Court of Appeal decision to allow the federal government to postpone implementing Sabah’s 40 percent entitlement to federal revenue should be seen as an opportunity to refine its calculations on how much Sabah is entitled to, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Mustapha Sakmud.

  Bernama quoted him as saying it should not be used as a reason to delay ongoing efforts to resolve the matter.

  

  “I urge the secretary-general of the Treasury and the Sabah state secretary to continue with the calculation process, data verification, and technical negotiations that are already underway.

  “The momentum must not be halted but strengthened so that a fair and accurate formula and payment amount can be finalised as soon as possible,” Mustapha said, adding the process involves complex assessments spanning a long period.

Economy

• A survey by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers found that 90 percent of 200 respondents expect to face supply chain disruptions in the next two weeks due to conflict in West Asia.

  Bernama quoted its president, Jacob Lee Chor Kok, telling “The Nation” programme that key materials for manufacturing will be in short supply, unavailable, or become more expensive.

  He added that most Malaysian manufacturers are involved in conventional manufacturing and are therefore highly sensitive to cost increases, due to thin margins.

  “We do hope that the government could come up with measures or interventions to help cushion cost increases so that companies will not need to pass on too much of the increase to consumers, which could in turn drive inflation,” Lee said.

6pm

Cost of living

• Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir urged the government to prioritise its own cost-cutting before asking the public to make sacrifices.

  His remarks were in light of the rising cost of living due to the West Asia conflict, causing fuel prices to skyrocket.

  

  “Before asking the rakyat to tighten their belts, what has the government done in terms of cost-cutting? The government must first sacrifice before asking the rakyat to do the same,” he said at a joint press conference with Muda today.

  Mukhriz (above) added that such requests to the people are unfair, saying the government must lead the way in dealing with the crisis.

  READ MORE: Fuel crisis: PM visits 3 states in 3 days, thousands ride with PN MBs in 10km ‘convoy’

Aviation

• AirAsia X will not cut jobs or provide voluntary unpaid leave for workers, said its group CEO, Bo Lingam.

  According to Bernama, he told a media briefing today that the company intends to preserve its workforce despite challenges stemming from the conflict in West Asia.

  AirAsia X will continue to monitor developments while ensuring the company’s survival and protecting its workforce, he added.

  

  Last week, Berita Harian reported that Batik Air Malaysia has offered voluntary unpaid leave to its employees, numbering around 3,500.

  Citing an internal memo to staff dated April 1, the report stated that Batik Air will also reduce its flight schedule by 35 percent for the first half of April due to the sharp increase in fuel costs.

Working from home

• The Selangor government will implement a work-from-home policy for its staff from Tuesdays to Thursdays in a bid to reduce fuel consumption and road congestion.

  This follows a similar measure for federal agencies. Both will begin on April 15.

  Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, who announced it as part of measures to mitigate the impact of the conflict in West Asia, said the policy will be reviewed monthly and hoped the private sector would follow suit.

  

  Other measures include a special task force of experts who would propose ways to mitigate the conflict’s impact and formulate a roadmap for up to a year in the event of protracted fighting.

Court

• The Malacca High Court ordered Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin to pay RM50,000 in damages for issuing defamatory statements against Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) chairperson Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

  Asyraf’s lawyer was quoted by Bernama as saying that Mas Ermieyati was also ordered to issue a public apology within 14 days and withdraw three videos, as well as other relevant statements, posted to her social media pages.

  This was done through a consent judgment before judicial commissioner Isa Aziz Ibrahim, the lawyer told reporters at the Malacca Court Complex.

  He added that Mas Ermieyati had admitted her publications contained false and defamatory claims against Mara and Asyraf, who is also the Umno secretary-general.

Tourism

• The second meeting of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) National Main Committee agreed to extend the campaign to the end of 2027.

  Noting that the cabinet will have to approve the decision, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the committee chairperson, said this considers current developments, including the ongoing West Asia conflict.

  In a statement today, Zahid said projections showed tourist arrivals from West Asia could decline up to 27 percent, equivalent to losing about 38 million passengers with losses totalling US$56 billion (RM225 billion).

2pm 

West Asia conflict

• An oil tanker chartered by a Petronas subsidiary and loaded with Iraqi crude oil reportedly passed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday evening.

  According to Reuters, the Ocean Thunder, chartered by Petronas Trading Corporation Sdn Bhd (Petco), loaded about one million barrels of Basrah Heavy Crude on March 2 and is expected to discharge its cargo in Pengerang, Johor, in the middle of April.

  

  Citing sources, Reuters reported that the tanker is among seven Malaysia-linked vessels cleared by Iran to transit the strait. 

Crime

• Transport Minister Anthony Loke said he has instructed the Road Transport Department enforcement director to carry out enforcement operations against mat rempit at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

  Commenting on a news report of mat rempit using the airport’s departure terminal as a race track, Loke said anyone who dares to race there will have their motorcycles confiscated.

  

  “I have also asked the management of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to tighten the entry and exit routes to the terminal building to curb this phenomenon,” the DAP secretary-general said in a statement today.

  He said that such behaviours not only endanger the lives of those in the area, but also may be construed as an act of sabotage against the state’s security and economy. 

9am

Politics

• PKR president Anwar Ibrahim praised Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim at the Johor PKR convention yesterday, saying that he was a loyal party member despite all his criticism.

  “I know him. Tough guy, highly principled, ‘degil nak mampus’ (stubborn like a mule),” Anwar quipped, adding that Hassan has also never lobbied him for anything.

  He also expressed confidence that Hassan would campaign for any PKR candidate out of loyalty.

  

  Anwar’s remarks came not long after Hassan and PKR vice-president R Ramanan got into a heated argument when the latter made broadsides against Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli.

READ MORE: Heated exchange at Johor PKR meet as Ramanan, Hassan clash over 'attack' on Rafizi

• Rafizi, who is also a former PKR deputy president, poked fun at the attacks against him yesterday, including an attempt to oust him as Pandan division chief.

  “Hahaha, why do they give me bullets for me to comment on each week (during my podcast). If there is no political ammo, I would have just made content about my cats,” he said.

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