SNAPSHOT | 'Fat Leonard' seeks pardon from Trump; PN accepts Wawasan Negara as member

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

9pm

Corruption

• Former military contractor Leonard Francis, better known as "Fat Leonard", is seeking a presidential pardon from US President Donald Trump, according to The Washington Post.

  The newspaper reported that Francis, the mastermind behind the largest corruption scandal in US military history, is running out of money and cannot repay the outstanding US$30 million he owes the US government.

  Francis (above) was sentenced in 2024 to 15 years' imprisonment for orchestrating a decade-long bribery scheme that ensnared dozens of US Navy officers, AP reported.

  According to The Washington Post, Francis agreed under a plea deal to pay US$35 million in restitution for defrauding the US Navy during his time as a defence contractor.

  After paying an initial US$5 million, the Malaysian man reportedly told the newspaper that he can no longer afford to pay the remaining balance because of spiralling legal costs and the expense of hiring lobbyists to petition Trump for clemency.

READ MORE: US court sentences 'Fat Leonard' to 15 years in jail – report

Politics

• Parti Wawasan Negara has been accepted as a lawful member of Perikatan Nasional.

  In a statement tonight, PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the coalition was notified that the Registrar of Societies has approved an application to change the name of Parti Cinta Malaysia to Parti Wawasan Negara on July 6, 2026.

  

  “Accordingly, Wawasan Negara has lawfully become a member party of PN under its new name with effect from that date, pursuant to Clause 6.5 of the PN constitution,” he said.

  Last month, former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin was appointed president of Wawasan Negara, his new political outfit.

Previously at 6pm | N Sembilan polls: PAS to finalise seat allocation; Kota Tinggi Bersatu Youth leader quits party

2pm | Wan Saiful files RM10m defamation suit against Tun Faisal

9am | Harapan N Sembilan candidates unveiled tonight; Media Council backs govt pausing FOI bill

COMMENT | Sombre, sober reflections on Johor election

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