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


Key Highlights

  • PN's majority under threat

  • Bid to save PN govt

  • Opposition MPs under probe



PN's majority under threat

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government is on the verge of collapse after at least 11 Umno MPs withdrew their support.

The opposition has at least 105 MPs and coupled with the 11 Umno MPs, it means Muhyiddin no longer commands a majority of the 220 MPs.

Lenggong MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah also resigned as the energy and natural resources minister, citing his loyalty to Umno.

Umno had withdrawn support for Muhyiddin since July 7 but at the time, nothing came out of it as Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob led several Umno MPs to rebel against the decision.

At the same time, Muhyiddin had also tried to counter the move by appointing Ismail as the deputy prime minister.

This time, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi presented 11 Umno MPs at a live press conference as evidence. He also cited the PN government's conflict with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as a reason for the decision.

Prior to Zahid's latest announcement, Muhyiddin had again tried to counter the move by announcing that the government will finally heed the Agong's demand for the emergency ordinances to be debated in Parliament.

But Zahid, presenting evidence of the numbers this time, has put pressure on other Umno MPs to comply.

Malaysiakini understands that at least 14 MPs are onboard and a handful of ministers are also contemplating resigning. Umno has a total of 38 MPs in Parliament.



HIGHLIGHTS

KiniGuide: What is it with the Delta variant?
Is it more dangerous?
'Umno decided to ditch Muhyiddin as it wants PM seat'
Shafie Apdal also lambasts PN over fallout with Agong.
Zuraida: Agong could have clarified matters
She said anything unclear can be referred to the PMO.




Bid to save PN govt

Zahid's latest move prompted a flurry of meetings among the pro-PN forces last night.

Ministers aligned to Muhyiddin, including Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as well as attorney-general Idrus Harun, were in a meeting at Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's residence in Kuala Lumpur.

After midnight, Ismail also went to Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre to meet with Umno MPs aligned to Muhyiddin, who is the Bersatu president.

One of the MPs there insisted that the PN government was still intact.

Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu suggested that PN can still govern as a minority government if no other parties can form a majority.

This is because the opposition is split as PKR is having trouble working with Pejuang and Warisan. Umno had also previously decided not to cooperate with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and DAP.



HIGHLIGHTS

Patriot asks why Armed Forces officers’ mess used for BN meeting
'It shouldn't be treated as a political tool'.
'Support PN but not PM' - MP counters with 'backing Umno but not Zahid'
Zahidi Zainul says Zahid's proposal is not practical.
Shafie Apdal: Agong can end majority doubts
He says PM can be ordered to test his majority.

 



Opposition MPs under probe

A total of eight opposition MPs will be questioned by police today for attempting to enter Parliament on Monday.

Police had turned up in force to block the MPs from entering Parliament even though obstructing MPs from entering the august House is a crime and in contempt of Parliament.

Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran said the incident showed the need for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

Pakatan Harapan said the move by its MPs to enter Parliament was only to uphold the Agong's call for the emergency ordinances to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat.

The government suspended the Dewan Rakyat sitting, making such a debate impossible. But opposition MPs had decided to go to Parliament anyway as a symbolic move.



HIGHLIGHTS

Senators regret Dewan Negara sitting postponed
They still went to Parliament. 
PM's abatement: A day late, a dollar short - Azalina
House deputy speaker says it was too late.
Groups worried 'smart paddy' project could backfire
They say the project had deviated.

 


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 17,105 new cases yesterday (Aug 3).

  • Active cases climbed to over 200,000. It more than tripled from 65,453 on July 1 to 203,664 yesterday.

  • The number of new Covid-19 cases beyond the Klang Valley are rising, with Penang (798) and Kelantan (915) hitting another record high.

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


What else is happening?

  • Sarawak, which enters Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan today, decided to postpone the move in the southern parts of the state.

  • The government is considering implementing price control on the sale of Covid-19 self-testing kits.

  • Malaysia received another 415,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by the UK.

  • A policy paper for food and parcel delivery services will be presented to the cabinet soon. At present, the industry is largely unregulated with complaints of high pricing and commissions.


HIGHLIGHTS

Rep recounts desperate bid to help Covid-19 patient
Hospitals are turning patients away.
Covid patients often self-report after it's too late, warns expert
This has come amid the move for home quarantine.
Address mounting deaths in your backyard, Johor reps tell PM
168 people died from Covid-19 in northern Johor in July.



What are people saying?

Don't defend govt o extent of snubbing royal institution
By Mohamed Khaled Nordin
Stop silencing the people
By Chong Xin Yi
'Whichever way the dice fall, the losers are the people'
By Malaysiakini readers

 


CARTOON KINI