Good morning, here's a quick rundown of what happened over the weekend.

Key Highlights

• Muhyiddin expected to resign
  
  

• Search for new PM
  
  

• Businesses to reopen
  
  

Muhyiddin expected to resign

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to resign as the prime minister when he meets the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at 12.30pm today.

This is after his last-ditch effort to rebuild his crumbled majority by offering a deal with the opposition was swiftly rejected.

Before the deal was offered on live television, some DAP MPs were reportedly in discussion with Muhyiddin's team to extract the reforms concessions.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said they were authorised to do so but the final decision must be approved by the party leadership and Pakatan Harapan presidential council.

The leadership ultimately rejected the offer because they couldn't trust Muhyiddin to deliver on his word.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Hadi: Don't allow the corrupt to come back to power PN victim of a power grab, says the PAS president.
	Undi18 campaigners detest being used as PM's 'bargaining chip' 'Undi18 should not be used for politics.'
	Kedah MB's critic wants apology, RM100k from cops Roslei Kamisan had been arrested by the police.

Search for new PM

Muhyiddin's anticipated resignation sparked a mad scramble as both the government and opposition sought to muster the numbers to prove they have a majority to form the next government.

Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was on a whirlwind of meetings to secure support from Muhyiddin's existing supporters.

He also reached out to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who was responsible for taking down Muhyiddin and Pejuang's Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir, however, was adamant that a National Operations Council-style entity dominated by non-politicians should take over the governance of the nation.

On the opposition side, Ismail Sabri's swift lobbying sent PKR into attack mode, with the party arguing that Ismail as the new prime minister would be a mistake.

However, the division in the opposition persists, prompting the DAP to nudge PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and Warisan president Shafie Apdal to reconcile for a chance to form a majority.

HIGHLIGHTS

	GPS has 'no problem' with Ismail as PM It wants the PN govt to be retained.
	'Strip next PM of power to frustrate confidence vote' A group of NGOs wants reforms.
	Bersatu MPs: Is Harapan cooperating with 'kleptocrats'? They want Harapan to come clean.

Businesses to reopen

As the sun sets on Muhyiddin's administration, his government moved to make several critical policy decisions, including allowing certain businesses to reopen after the prolonged Covid-19 lockdown and postponing the reopening of schools.

Beginning today, businesses such as hair salons, barbershops, clothing shops and car showrooms will be allowed to serve fully vaccinated customers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Negeri Sembilan. The full list of businesses can be found here.

The criteria are for states still stuck in Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) but have more than half of their adult population fully vaccinated.

The Phase 1 states are Klang Valley (64.7 percent adult population fully vaccinated), Negeri Sembillan (61.3 percent), Malacca (39.1 percent), Kedah (30 percent) and Johor (26.5 percent).

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry announced that schools in Phase 1 states will be closed indefinitely.

As for states in Phase 2 and beyond, the reopening is delayed by a month from Sept 1 to Oct 3.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Miti: Mandatory biweekly RTK Antigen test for companies This is on top of existing SOPs.
	PPV closures in Penang 'ridiculous' - Guan Eng Federal govt blamed for vaccine shortage.
	11 Covid-19 self-test kits approved 7 tests use saliva samples, others use nasal swabs.

 

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 20,546 new cases yesterday (Aug 15), the fifth consecutive day where fresh infections were above 20,000.
  
  
• A total of 3,484 people died from Covid-19 in just the first 15 days of this month. The death toll stands at 12,510.
  
  
• Active cases rose for 51 consecutive days, from 60,117 on June 26 to 247,261 yesterday.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• The Health Ministry, already struggling with the Covid-19 Delta variant, wants tougher border control to prevent other variants from entering the country, including the Lambda variant.
  
  
• KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital said it is extending additional support to a Covid-19 patient after the patient's RM346,182 bill went viral on social media.
  
  
• Several individuals are being investigated for sedition over online comments on Malacca state governor Mohd Ali Rustam, including one that was merely three question marks - "???".
  
  
• The National Poison Centre received reports of two cases of poisoning from the consumption of ivermectin, touted as a cure for Covid-19 in some quarters.
  
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Filmmaker Hidayah confronts past in gripping documentary Mandatory death penalty upended lives.
	Rina: 33 children orphaned by Covid-19 She urged such cases to be reported.
	Najib tells Umno rebels to repent He alludes they face defeat in GE15.

What are people saying?

	Lessons for Malaysia’s next government By Bridget Welsh
	Muhyiddin’s top 10 unforgivable mortal sins By Francis Paul Siah
	Don't slam Tony Pua, slam the Deep State By Andrew Sia