Good morning. Here's what happened over the weekend.


Key Highlights

  • More MPs defect

  • Jumping vaccine queue

  • 1MDB and Zeti




More MPs defect

PKR’s Tebrau MP Steven Choong and Julau MP Larry Sng are the latest to quit the party and backed Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional government.

Justifying their defection, Choong and Sng cited needs for their constituencies.

PKR said it will take legal action against defectors who won their seats under the party’s logo.

The double defection gives Muhyiddin a simple majority again as he now controls 111 out of 220 MPs. Two seats are vacant due to deaths.

To date, PKR has lost 14 MPs to defections. They are as follow:

  • Steven Choong (Tebrau)
  • Larry Sng (Julau)
  • Baru Bian (Selangau)
  • Ali Biju (Saratok)
  • Jugah Muyang (Lubok Antu)
  • Jonathan Yasin (Ranau)
  • Willie Mongin (Puncak Borneo)
  • Edmund Santhara Kumar (Segamat)
  • Rashid Hasnon (Batu Pahat)
  • Mansor Othman (Nibong Tebal)
  • Kamaruddin Jaafar (Bandar Tun Razak)
  • Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota)
  • Zuraida Kamaruddin (Ampang)
  • Azmin Ali (Gombak)


Ironically, PKR was also accused of recruiting five assemblypersons from its own ally Amanah.


HIGHLIGHTS

Muhyiddin gains simple majority
This follows more defections.
PKR-Amanah trade barbs over defections
Amanah unhappy PKR taking its reps.
'Probe mastermind behind anti-Zahid book'
Kelantan Umno wants action.




Jumping vaccine queue

Immunisation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin wants whistleblowers to come forward amid growing complaints of alleged attempts to cut queue for Covid-19 vaccines.

Malaysiakini previously reported a similar incident at Serdang Hospital by the Health Ministry dismissed it as “fake news”.

Khairy asked the Health Ministry to look into the latest claim involving Kelantan state officials allegedly trying to jump queue and state health officials similarly denied.

Meanwhile, Khairy said he will skip the more-established Pfizer-Biontech Covid-19 vaccine for whatever comes after to help public confidence.

The next in line for approval is China’s Sinovac, which efficacy varies hugely between 50.4 and 91.25 percent compared to Pfizer-Biontech’s 95 percent.

Unlike the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine which arrived in vials, Sinovac arrived in a 200-litre special container last Saturday as it will be bottled locally.


HIGHLIGHTS

Masks still required after vaccination
Those vaccinated must still abide by SOPs.
Vaccine: Selangor sultan gives way to frontliners
He also urged public to sign up for vaccination.
Action mooted for skipping vaccine appointment
This is to avoid wastage.

 



1MDB and Zeti

Singapore police reportedly alerted Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in 2015 about suspicious transactions from businessperson Low Taek Jho to family members of then BNM governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

Low was a central figure in the 1MDB scandal which BNM had investigated.

Zeti were among several regulatory and enforcement heads forced out for investigating the 1MDB scandal and then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in 2015.

But allegations have emerged that Zeti’s family members too were entangled in the 1MDB scandal in the early stages, sometime in 2008-2009.

Zeti maintained she and her family had never received any 1MDB monies but will likely be grilled by Najib’s lawyers as she will be a witness in his ongoing 1MDB graft trial.


HIGHLIGHTS

New US ambassador arrives in KL
Brian McFeeter served in Malaysia in 2009-2011.
Asyraf won't apologise over history textbook squabble
Ex-education minister threatens legal action.
Minister: Syariah law challenge not good for harmony
He hopes there won't be any more challenges.

 


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 2,437 new cases and 9 deaths yesterday (Feb 28).

  • Cumulative cases crossed the 300,000-mark.

  • Active cases at the lowest level since Jan 9, at 26,205.

  • Malaysiakini also compiles daily locations affected by Covid-19 so you can take precaution.


What else is happening?

  • Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan will be questioned by police this afternoon over his comments about the Federal Court's contempt of court ruling against the news portal. 

  • Inspector-general of police Abdul Hamid Bador assured the new RM10,000 maximum fine for MCO violations will be for repeat offenders.

  • Nine districts in Sarawak won't comply with Putrajaya's decision to begin the process of reopening schools today.

  • The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) declared a dividend of 5.2 percent for conventional savings and 4.9 percent for Syariah savings.


HIGHLIGHTS

‘Selling my body for a plate of nasi bujang’
Why some get into sex work.
Deputy minister missing in action
Questions abound if he is in New Zealand.
Syed Husin: History books need open minds
Emotional politicians should stay out.

 


What are people saying?

Embrace the concept of vaccine equity
By Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang
End unhealthy obsession with research papers
By Concerned Citizen
RM10k fine a sign of failure
By Malaysiakini readers


CARTOON KINI