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

9pm

Parliament

  • Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul today confirmed that he received resignation notices from Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, with both resignations taking effect on May 18.

    In a statement, Johari said he informed the Election Commission (EC) of the vacancies in the Pandan and Setiawangsa parliamentary seats, in accordance with Article 54(1) of the Federal Constitution.

    He added that any decision on whether by-elections will be held for the two constituencies will be subject to the EC’s consideration and final decision.

READ MORE: Nik Nazmi: PKR legal action will bolster Bersama; prove party hopping in court - Rafizi

  • EC chairperson Ramlan Harun today confirmed that no by-elections will be held for the Pandan and Setiawangsa seats following the resignations of their MPs.

    In a statement, Ramlan said the EC had received official notification from the Dewan Rakyat speaker regarding the extraordinary vacancies for the seats, which were declared vacant under Article 51 of the Constitution.

    He added that, pursuant to Article 54(1), the speaker informed the EC that there was no requirement to fill the vacancies. As such, the EC confirmed no by-elections would be conducted.

Politics

  • The Umno Veterans Club today urged the party to leave the government, stressing that it was necessary to preserve the dignity of the Malays and Umno.

    In a statement today, the group’s secretary, Mustapha Yaakub, said Umno should no longer remain in the Madani government following controversies involving DAP veteran Tony Pua’s recent statement on royal decrees.

    Umno Veterans Club secretary Mustapha Yaakub

    In his statement on Facebook, Pua said Malaysian monarchs are bound by the constitutional system and can’t issue binding decrees to legislate all aspects of people’s lives.

    This was after Selangor ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, advised the state’s assemblypersons to visit the newly installed Rukun Negara plaque at Dataran Selangor, to better appreciate the national principles.

    The group also demanded that DAP apologise to the ruler for Pua’s comments, claiming the remarks were not only directed at the sultan but were also an affront to Malay rulers nationwide.

  • The revival of Parti Bersama Malaysia by former ministers Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is a reminder of the country’s open democratic space that should be protected, said the Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement.

    The association’s chairperson, Koong Hui Yein, in a statement today, hoped Bersama would commit to reforms, including justice for Teoh’s case and other deaths in custody.

    She added that the association welcomes any engagement with Bersama’s leadership as long as their principles are aligned.

READ MORE: Rafizi says Bersama to be merit-based, seeks young professionals ready for ‘leap of faith’

  • Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh reminisced about the good old days with Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who recently resigned as Setiawangsa MP.

    In a Facebook post today, she detailed her journey of growing alongside Nik Nazmi in the political arena since 2008, including when they were sent to various Commonwealth leadership programmes in the United Kingdom and Australia.

    She also shared how Nik Nazmi has been constantly supportive, including when her book “Becoming Hannah” was subjected to civil suits, in which Nik Nazmi defended her and testified for her in court.

    Noting her sadness for Nik Nazmi and Rafizi Ramli’s departure from PKR, Yeoh hopes they would not write each other off nor become nasty on the political stage.

Previously at 6pm | Govt meets 50pct spending realignment target; MMC receives media harassment report

2pm | Cop dies after suspected fall; Rafizi: Bersama co-founder angered by sale query

9am | Uproar against Pua after remarks on monarchy; Yeoh lodges report over alleged slander