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

Key Highlights

• Travel privileges while on trial
  
  

• Campaign restrictions pushback
  
  

• Setback for MA63 changes
  
  

Travel privileges while on trial

A slew of individuals facing high-profile graft cases has been allowed by the courts to travel abroad recently, including former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

This prompted another former prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, to label Najib as "Malaysia's first VIP criminal".

Najib was found guilty of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power in July last year but is appealing the verdict.

Najib's travel privileges also caught attention in Parliament, with one MP questioning why he was being allowed to spend weeks in Singapore, where his daughter is going to deliver a baby, when he is "not a midwife".

The Court of Appeal on Oct 18 unanimously decided to temporarily return Najib's passport for the trip but it is still not a done deal.

As Najib is facing multiple criminal cases, he must seek permission for the release of his passport from the judges of the respective cases. These matters were supposed to be heard on Oct 22 but were postponed to today.

Meanwhile, Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was the latest high-profile individual facing money-laundering charges to be allowed to travel abroad. Shafee is helping his son to settle in for studies in United States.

Other figures who have been granted similar privileges include Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Pandora Papers: Dr M says morally inappropriate However, he maintains no laws were broken.
	Govt agencies will be instructed to probe Pandora Papers Minister says Parliament will be informed.
	PM told to explain the revival of gas pipeline projects They were purportedly linked to the 1MDB bailout.

Campaign restrictions pushback

Both the government and opposition have pushed back against Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin's announced ban against political parties from holding gatherings and social events during the forthcoming Malacca state election due to violations of the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Umno's Ahmad Maslan, the secretary-general of Khairy's own party, said Umno disapproved of the "broadly termed" restrictions after similar criticism by the opposition.

Electoral reform group Bersih said the restrictions represented the suppression of democracy.

PKR's Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad offered a solution, suggesting that the government emulates Singapore during the island republic's polls last year, where it granted equal broadcast access to all election candidates in place of regular campaigning due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa did not respond to Nik Nazmi's suggestion when he addressed Parliament.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Dr M: Pejuang to stay out of Malacca polls He adds the party won't be aiding any side.
	Prasarana denies ownership of abandoned trains 'These trains were transferred to CSR-Zhuzhou.'
	Sajat calls for more awareness on human rights She laments hate speech.

Setback for MA63 changes

The first day of the second Dewan Rakyat meeting yesterday saw a number of postponements.

The proposed amendment to provisions of the Federal Constitution relating to the Malaysia Agreement 1963, which is supposed to be tabled today, won't take place.

De facto Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the cabinet failed to achieve a consensus and would decide on the next course of action after consultation with Attorney-General Idrus Harun.

Some of the proposed amendments were deemed sensitive, including granting bumiputera status to Sarawakian children from mixed marriages where only one parent is a native.

Meanwhile, the election of a new deputy speaker was postponed for a second time, this time to next year despite Umno's Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan, who Bersatu finds unacceptable, pulling out.

Umno had indicated that it will nominate Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Mohd Nor but the election still did not go ahead, nor was the reason for the postponement disclosed.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Dewan Rakyat passes revocation of emergency ordinances The motion was passed unanimously.
	GRS-opposition pact meaningless without Warisan - SAPP 'PKR and DAP leaders in Sabah have no say.'
	PM announces RM500 aid for over 800k who lost income Money will be channelled beginning today.

 

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 4,782 new cases yesterday (Oct 25), the first time dipping under 5,000 since June 22.
  
  
• Another 92 fatalities put the death toll at 28,492.
  
  

New cases by state:

Selangor (756)
Kelantan (596)
Johor (504)
Sarawak (493)
Sabah (450)
Kedah (333)
Terengganu (298)
Perak (294)
Penang (271)
Pahang (256)
Malacca (177)
Kuala Lumpur (176)
Negeri Sembilan (145)
Perlis (20)
Putrajaya (13)
Labuan (0)

What else is happening?

• Julau MP Larry Sng, who quit PKR to become a PN-friendly MP, was appointed as the new Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) chairperson.
  
  
• Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu questioned why national diver Pandelela Rinong was raising "old stories" about sexual misconduct after she spoke up about her ex-coach amid a debate about rape jokes. In contrast, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who was previously the youth and sports minister, thanked her for speaking up.
  
  
• In a landmark decision, the High Court in Ipoh ruled that an illegitimate child born to a Malaysian father and foreign mother can be granted Malaysian citizenship.
  
  
• The High Court in Kuala Lumpur will hear on Nov 8 a challenge brought by the Malacca opposition against the dissolution of the Malacca state assembly, which paved the way for fresh polls. It coincides with nomination day.
  
  
• The government is set to open Langkawi to international tourists.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	MP who switched sides complains about switching sides Steven Choong touched on the Malacca polls.
	Pioneer Orang Asli officer dies The 87-year-old served in the Senoi Praaq.
	YTL Power selected to export electricity to S'pore This is on a two-year trial basis.

What are people saying?

	Keluarga Malaysia - just another slogan for another PM By Syahredzan Johan
	Revolutionising the Malays By Mahathir Mohd Rais
	When Kit Siang had a run-in with the headmaster By Kee Thuan Chye

CARTOON KINI