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


Key Highlights

  • Umno's notice to PN

  • High positivity rate

  • Judicial fixing claims



Umno's notice to PN

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi issued a 14-day notice to the Perikatan Nasional government to convene Parliament.

He kept his cards close to the chest about the consequences if the PN government didn’t comply.

It is seen as the first step of Zahid’s manoeuvring ahead of a tentative plan to pull out of the PN government in August.

However, it won’t be smooth sailing for Zahid as there are other factions in Umno that are opposed to the move.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan, who is aligned to Zahid, acknowledged that efforts are ongoing by certain parties to secure the allegiance of MPs but that he was not involved.

Umno’s Hishammuddin Hussein, who is in an opposing faction, was previously speculated as the leader of the movement, but he has dismissed it as a rumour.



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High positivity rate

While the number of new Covid-19 cases have declined in the last week, there is uncertainty whether the gains can be sustained.

This is because the positivity rate in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan have surged.

That means people who are tested for Covid-19 are turning up positive at a higher rate, suggesting that there may be insufficient testing.

For the week of June 13-19, the positivity rate in Selangor increased to 10.17 percent, compared to 8.85 percent in the preceding week.

Negeri Sembilan increased from 10.82 percent to 11.41 percent in the same period.

When Negeri Sembilan hit double digits two weeks ago, the impact was not immediately apparent until last week, when the state recorded the second-highest new daily cases in five out of the seven days last week.



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However, cluster-related cases have declined.
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It's a joint effort by IMR and UPM.
M'sia estimated to reach 10pct fully vaccinated by mid-July
The general population will be vaccinated next.




Judicial fixing claims

What began as a bumiputera equity issue between Petronas and Norwegian oil services firm Aker Solutions ASA escalated into claims of judicial fixing.

This was over text messages portraying an Aker Solutions representative purported to have suggested that the firm had engaged lawyers who were able to influence court decisions.

Aker Solutions dismissed the text messages as a fabrication, but it had prompted a police report by the Chief Justice’s Office.

The matter rocked the legal fraternity, with the Malaysian Bar expressing concern and the implicated lawyers denying the claim.



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Kit Siang jabs PN on herd immunity.
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The authorities have received reports of various violations.
Four remanded over RM10mil tender issue
It involved procurement for an enforcement agency.



A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 4,611 new cases yesterday (June 21).

  • A total of 1,681 people have died in the first three weeks of this month.

  • Cumulative Covid-19 cases crossed the 700,000 mark.

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


What else is happening?

  • The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is looking into claims that a fatwa declaring PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's controversial speech in 1981 to be "misguided" had been deleted. PAS has a deputy minister overseeing Jakim.

  • Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin lashed out at rich nations for hoarding Covid-19 vaccines.

  • Axiata Group Bhd and Telenor ASA have agreed to merge Celcom and Digi with a target for completion by the second quarter of 2022.

  • British tech firm Dyson rejected claims that exploited workers were being used in their Malaysian supply chain.

  • The first delivery of the CanSino Covid-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in July.


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The rites are only allowed in designated locations.

 


What are people saying?

Cut CEO pay, not axe jobs during pandemic
By Howard Lee
Hadi Awang continues to play the red herring
By S Thayaparan
Clear the confusion over Covid-19 test ceiling price
By Dr Subramanaiam Muniandy

 


KINI LENS