Good morning. Here's what you need to know today.

Key Highlights

• M'sia making waves in NZ
  
  
• Bersatu confirms 'divorce letter'
  
  
• Battle lines drawn
  
  

M’sia making waves in NZ

Putrajaya wasn’t the only one to take heat for approving Deputy Federal Territories Minister Edmund Santhara Kumar's 55 days of leave to go abroad amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, there is pressure in New Zealand to reveal whether Wellington had given Edmund preferential treatment.

This is because there is limited quarantine capacity there and even New Zealanders have faced delays to return home.

In 2014, Malaysia also made waves in New Zealand after its diplomatic officer claimed immunity after he was arrested for sexual assault.

Muhammad Rizalman Ismail was in 2015 sent back to face trial in New Zealand and convicted.

Highlights of the trial included bizarre accounts from Rizalman.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Hajj depends on Saudi Arabia's approval M'sia will fulfil whatever conditions.
	'No compromise for 1MDB justice' This follows multi-billion ringgit settlements.
	S'wak imposes travel restrictions This amid a spike of Covid-19 cases there.

Bersatu confirms divorce letter

It’s now out in the open. Bersatu confirmed it received Umno’s 'divorce letter' for GE15.

Bersatu said it will now focus on other Perikatan Nasional component members including PAS, STAR, SAPP and Gerakan.

Umno rebel Annuar Musa called the 'divorce letter' premature but the party’s secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said Bersatu got what it asked for.

Moving forward, there are two possible outcomes. One, Bersatu gets Umno to change course by influencing Umno’s annual general assembly later this month and party election in June.

The alternative is to tear Umno apart by engineering more defections from Umno to Bersatu. Several MPs are already leaning in that direction.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Putrajaya writes off Kedah's RM699mil debt This reduces the state's debt burden.
	Another PKR rep 'enticed' to defect Sekijang MP rejects the offers.
	Pahang PAS urges PN to phase out gambling Only taukes benefit, it says.

Battle lines drawn

The screws will likely be turned on Umno after it made clear Bersatu will be an opponent and not an ally in GE15.

Umno needs to react but there is little manoeuvring space as long as Parliament is suspended and the emergency is not lifted.

In this regard, BN and Pakatan Harapan yesterday issued very similar statements panning the government’s refusal to convene Parliament.

Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah went a step further, calling for the party to quit the PN government now.

A lack of a majority won’t cause the PN government’s immediate collapse due to its emergency powers. It will, however, put pressure on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

HIGHLIGHTS

	MOH warns staff against publicly discussing policy 'It could damage the civil service's reputation'.
	Harapan leaders meet speaker on Parliament sitting They want the suspension to be lifted.
	Khazanah: Valid for govt to want more during hard times It will support the government.

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 2,063 new cases and 5 deaths yesterday (March 4).
  
  
• First time in four days new cases are above 2,000 but active cases declined to 23,161, helped by high recoveries.
  
  
• Significant spikes in Sarawak and Penang. Sarawak's 361 new cases and Penang's 337 are the highest yet for those states since the start of the third wave.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, individuals tested, hospital bed capacity and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• The trailer driver who crashed into the Suke Highway construction site, causing metal scaffolding to collapse and crush a van that killed two, tested positive for drugs.
  
  
• Human rights group Suaram objects to lobbying by private hospitals to source their own Covid-19 vaccines.
  
  
• Health Minister Adham Baba said those jumping the Covid-19 vaccine queue can be fined up to RM50,000 or six months imprisonment.
  
  
• Bank Negara Malaysia maintained the Overnight Policy Rate at 1.75 percent. That means there is no change in the interest on the loans you repay.
  
  
• Malaysiakini breaks down for you the implication of its contempt of court judgment on social media users.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Saliva Covid-19 test trialled at seven hospitals It has not been approved for widespread use.
	Health DG stresses fair vaccine distribution This is as private hospitals seek to procure their own.
	Uneven Covid-19 recovery, some states seeing outbreaks Others have seen marked improvements.

What are people saying?

	Injecting humanity into addiction treatment By Akbar Jaya
	MCA confirms its irrelevancy By S Thayaparan
	Both sides equally guilty of party-hopping By Victoria Rozario

CARTOON KINI