Good morning, here's what you need to know today.


Key Highlights

  • Assassination plan

  • No Undi18 for GE15

  • 'Muddy waters' for Penang



The police revealed they foiled an assassination plan of top leaders in the previous Pakatan Harapan government.

The Special Branch said among the targets were Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Lim Guan Eng, Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Tommy Thomas.

However, Harapan leaders said they were in the dark about the threat to their lives.

They took Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to task, who was the home minister at the time, for failing to inform them of the terrorist threat.

The Special Branch has actively intercepted terror threats since the Al-Ma’unah group in 2000 raided an army camp and fired a grenade launcher at breweries and a temple in the Klang Valley.



HIGHLIGHTS

Covid-19: Over 2,000 students, teachers infected
This occurred as the schools reopened.
Pejuang offers to support any coalition with conditions
Dr M acknowledges his party alone can't form the govt.
Suspended senior judge withdraws appeals
Hamid Sultan Abu Backer had alleged graft in the judiciary.

 



No Undi18 for GE15

The Election Commission announced it will postpone the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 to next year.

With GE15 widely expected to be called when the emergency is lifted in August, this means some 1.2 million youths won’t be able to vote.

The move infuriated youth activists and courted criticism from opposition parties and Umno.

Bersatu’s Dewan Negara speaker Rais Yatim had hinted that the plan didn’t sit well with some within the government as he attacked the initiative.

Undi18, a proponent of the plan, said automatic voter registration can be delayed but the EC could still register 18 to 21-year-olds as voters under the existing system.



HIGHLIGHTS

Muda nudges ROS on party registration
It is planning legal action.
'Set up electoral boundaries commission'
'This is to prevent political interference,' DAP's MP proposes.
Warisan, Muda in talks on partnership
Discussions are in the initial stages.

 



'Muddy waters' for Penang

When Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor warned Penang could get muddy waters, it was seen as mere political rhetoric.

Apparently, he’s serious. 

Sanusi announced plans to build water catchments to “stabilise” the water level upstream of Sungai Muda.

But it’ll affect the downstream flow where Penang draws water from.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who previously ignored Sanusi, said the state may mount a legal challenge and is also planning contingencies.



HIGHLIGHTS

Hadi on why PAS ousted Harapan
PAS wants to contest GE15 as the incumbent.
Moody's revises M'sian banks outlook to stable
This is from the previous 'negative' outlook in its research.
Umno AGM: A tussle for hearts and minds
Two factions are competing.

 


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 1,360 new cases and two deaths yesterday (March 25).

  • The infectivity rate is at 0.99, up from 0.88 a week ago, coming dangerously close to reversing current gains in containing the virus.

  •  It means for every 100 people, they infect 99 others. The infectivity rate must be kept under 1.0 to prevent exponential growth in cases.

  • For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.


What else is happening?

  • Damansara MP Tony Pua asked the prime minister to reveal details of the government's engagement with lawyers for the Goldman Sachs settlement to dispel claims of hefty fees and kickbacks.

  • The High Court in Kuala Lumpur granted leave to a 40-year-old woman to challenge her unilateral conversion to Islam when she was 10-years-old.

  • Putrajaya took control of RM48 million in bank accounts belonging to 1MDB fugitive Low Taek Jho's father, Low Hock Peng.

  • Putrajaya will include "economic frontliners" in Phase 2 of the Covid-19 vaccination plan due to the lower than expected registration from the target group - senior citizens, the ill and differently-abled.

  • Police are offering a 50 percent discount on traffic summonses via their newly-launched MyBayar Saman portal.

HIGHLIGHTS

Cops who borrow from loan sharks to face action
They will face disciplinary hearings.
Woman's erroneous vaccination status fixed
She was marked vaccinated even though she wasn't.
Minister: ILO response stalled due to Parliament suspension
ILO says Putrajaya isn't responding to concerns.

 


What are people saying?

Put in place people-friendly policy for the homeless
By Teh Yik Koon
Nothing will be done about the police cartel
By S Thayaparan
PAS strikes even as PM talks about a new deal
By Malaysiakini readers



CARTOON KINI