SNAPSHOT | No issues in Terriruddin's JAC appointment - counsel; Amanah warns Umno of 'treacherous' PAS

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

Latest:

Monthly fuel subsidy spending hit RM7.5b in April; PN no longer ruled by one party - Annuar

6pm

Court

• Counsel representing Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh has argued that the Malaysian Bar’s legal challenge over his appointment to the Judicial Appointments Committee (JAC) does not address any statutory breaches.

  Instead, senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, who represented the respondents, told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that the Bar’s judicial review was based on leaked minutes, media reports, public statements, and a police report.

  Insisting that the Bar had failed to identify any infringements to Section 5(1)(e) of the JAC Act 2009 based on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s move to appoint Terrirudin to the JAC, Shamsul submitted that a police report does not establish the truth behind certain allegations.

  

  “A judicial review cannot be founded upon conjecture, assumptions, speculation, or apprehension of possible future harm,” he said, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today.

  Lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan, appearing for the Bar alongside Steven Thiru, said the court should grant leave as there are serious issues that need consideration in a full hearing.

  Judge Norliza Othman fixed Oct 5 for a decision in the leave application.

READ MORE: Bar wants to challenge Terrirudin's JAC appointment

Politics

• Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi appeared to hint at a potential future cooperation with PAS after both parties held a talk recently.

  Stressing that the meeting mainly touched on non-political issues and agendas, the BN chairperson described the discussion as a “positive step” with various follow-up actions to be taken.

  

  He told a press conference in Putrajaya today that any political topics in the meeting must be further refined due to Umno’s presence in the coalition government.

  “That principle must be respected, but the door must also be open for us to hold negotiations and also explore new approaches if this political dynamic will take place at some point in the future,” the deputy prime minister added.

READ MORE: PAS ends political ties with Bersatu

• Zahid has dismissed any speculation of Umno and PAS reviving their former Muafakat Nasional pact.

  “MN has been registered as an NGO by someone. Therefore, we have absolutely no intention to revive MN.

  “Whether it is MN 1.0 or 2.0, the matter is final and we have closed the book on it,” he was quoted as saying by FMT at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

• Amanah secretary-general Faiz Fadzil has criticised PAS for its alleged “betrayal” of Bersatu after the Islamist party severed political ties with the latter.

  In a statement, Faiz said that before working with Bersatu, PAS had been aligned with Umno in the name of Malay unity, only to leave and join forces with Bersatu, also under the banner of Malay unity.

  

  “From this, it is clear that there has never been any sincere Malay unity, because what is being united is power,” he said, while accusing PAS of weaponising religion for political gain.

  Following Zahid’s hints on a possible cooperation between Umno and PAS, Faiz cautioned that the Islamist party would, in time, “betray” Umno.

Defence

• Norwegian defence firm Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS has sought to hold talks with Putrajaya over the latter’s compensation claim following the cancellation of export licences for naval strike missiles intended for the littoral combat ships.

  Defence Minister Khaled Nordin said that while the ministry has received the company’s request, Malaysia will continue to pursue its legal claim.

  

  “We have not met yet and, so far, we do not know what they want to discuss, but we have received a letter from them,” New Straits Times quoted Khaled as saying during a press conference today.

READ MORE: Govt sends LOD to Norwegian defence firm, seeks over RM1b in losses

Animal rights

• Association for the Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka) and animal activists will lodge a police report at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters against Taiping Zoo and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) on June 11.

  The report will centre on the legality of the transfer of three Malaysian elephants - Dara, Amoi and Kelat - to Japan’s Tennoji Zoo.

  

  On June 5, activists urged the MACC to conduct a thorough investigation into the transfer of the said elephants to Japan, following allegations of supposed anomalies in the transaction.

  ---

  READ MORE: Amid criticism, Japanese zoo shares M'sian elephants' latest 'happy' photos

  ---

  Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan claimed the group has obtained several documents that raise questions about the shipping process of the animals.

Previously at 2pm | Azam finally files suit against Albert; Muhyiddin regrets PAS' breakaway from Bersatu

9am | Whither PN after PAS-Bersatu breakup?; calls for Muhyiddin to return as coalition chief

Najib drops house arrest bid, contempt application against Terrirudin

One power, two claimants: Critics say JAC's constitutional legitimacy in doubt

Terrirudin on JAC is PM's decision, can't be challenged - CJ

Elephant agreement strictly zoo-to-zoo, not commercial, MPT says

Minister backs public call for Japan zoo to return 3 Malaysian elephants