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

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No sign of snap polls from PM: Fahmi; over 10 opposition MPs mulls Umno return - Asyraf

6pm 

Jho Low’s pardon  

  • Malaysia must get Jho Low extradited from the United States as soon as possible, said another Pakatan Harapan leader, following news of the fugitive financier’s attempt to get a pardon from US President Donald Trump.

    Selangor PKR election director Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan said that Low must be brought back to Malaysia to face charges related to the 1MDB scandal.

    US President Donald Trump and Low Taek Jho, aka Jho Low

    “If Low is in the US, I urge the authorities to cooperate with Malaysia and extradite him so that he can face the law,” Sathia said in a statement, following similar comments from Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng.

    The Wall Street Journal first reported Low’s bid for a pardon.

READ MORE: Jho Low seeks Trump pardon; Rafizi to submit additional evidence to MACC

New MACC chief 

  • As the new MACC chief, Abdul Halim Aman, settles in, a graft watchdog said he needs to implement several reforms if the government is serious about improving its score on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

    These reforms include setting up a parliamentary special select committee to oversee the MACC with the power to remove and appoint the chief commissioner, said the Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4 Center).

    New MACC chief commissioner Abdul Halim Aman

    The government must also ensure that the proposed Ombudsman office has jurisdiction over the MACC, while the agency’s five oversight bodies should also be reformed.

    C4 Center pointed out that despite the constant publicity surrounding MACC raids and arrests under its ex-chief Azam Baki, Malaysia’s CPI score has remained relatively unchanged for the past six years, fluctuating between 48 and 52 out of 100, with the government aiming to enter the top 27 by 2028.

    “To actually make strides in this direction, the incoming chief commissioner must urgently oversee, implement, and facilitate wide-scale reform of the agency,” C4 said.

Domestic economy

  • Malaysia’s domestic trade activity remains resilient and continues to expand amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, according to the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.

    Bernama reports that sales value in the distribution trade sector, comprising wholesale, retail, and motor vehicles, reached RM169 billion in March 2026.

    According to the Statistics Department, this was an increase of 9.8 percent compared with the same period last year.

    Data from the ministry showed a strong increase in sales value for wholesale and retail trade in the first quarter of 2026 (1Q 2026), rising by 7.5 percent compared to 4.6 percent in 1Q 2025.

    To further boost trade, Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh said the government aims to reduce bureaucracy so that entrepreneurs can concentrate on growth rather than being burdened by administrative red tape.

Namewee freed 

  • Singer-songwriter Namewee has been freed from two drug charges, namely possessing 1.57g of methamphetamine and 0.78g of an erectile dysfunction drug called Sildenafil.

    Free Malaysia Today reported that he was acquitted by magistrate Khairunnisak Hassni earlier today after the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) accepted his second representation letter.

    Wee Meng Chee, aka Namewee

    Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, was arrested on Oct 22 last year, after he was found with nine suspected ecstasy pills in a Kuala Lumpur hotel room where a Taiwanese influencer had died.

    He was subsequently charged in two separate magistrate’s courts two days later with one count of possessing 5.12g of ecstasy and one count of administering amphetamine, methamphetamine, tetrahydrocannabinol, and ketamine.

    Magistrate S Arunjothy, however, acquitted Namewee on Dec 22 of administering drug charges following his negative urine test.

READ MORE: Namewee pleads not guilty to possessing erectile dysfunction drug

Previously at 2pm | MP urges govt to protest Jho Low seeking Trump pardon; proposal to check elephants

9am | K'tan deputy MB against subsidies for megacorps; NRD says no Budi95 disruption