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


Key Highlights

  • Much ado over ministers' Vellfire

  • Rivals turn the screw on Harapan

  • Medical marijuana



Much ado over ministers' Vellfire

Ministers received a shiny new Toyota Vellfire to ride in since April but after it came to public attention, finger-pointing ensued.

The public outcry forced the Finance Ministry to respond. It said the lease was cheaper - by a mere RM2.80 a month - and this courted further ridicule.

In trying to deflect the heat, it also name-dropped "the previous government", claiming that it was deliberated then and was only implemented now due to a postponement.

Lim Guan Eng, who was the finance minister when Pakatan Harapan was in power from 2018 to 2020, refuted this, stressing that the government at the time had never approved the switch from Proton Perdana to Toyota Vellfire.

At the time, discussions on the possibility of a switch were leaked and the Harapan government took a lot of heat, which prompted it to abandon the idea.

It appeared the PN-BN government under Muhyiddin Yassin revived the plan but it largely escaped public scrutiny.

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, who was part of the Harapan cabinet, said the proposed switch was abandoned as the government at the time wanted to support the Proton brand, which despite its partial sale to China-owned Geely, is still majority Malaysian-owned.

Syed Saddiq also questioned if there was any impropriety and called for an investigation.

As of September, the government has paid RM1.42 million for the leases on the Toyota Vellfire vehicles and related maintenance costs.


HIGHLIGHTS

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The prosecution contends this in Najib's trial.
Nearly half of MACC's arrests involve civil servants
406 civil servants rewarded RM813k for reporting corruption.
Individual behind Edisi Siasat urged to show evidence
We will see how true those allegations are, says police chief.

 



Rivals turn the screw on Harapan

Mindful that Pakatan Harapan's decision to cooperate with ex-Umno leaders, including Idris Haron, is unpopular with its grassroots. The rivals have exploited it to the fullest in the Malacca state assembly election.

A letter showing Harapan leaders endorsing Idris as the chief minister in their failed bid to retake the government was circulated by anonymous sources.

Malacca Harapan chief Adly Zahari said the decision to take Idris in was "not easy", likening it to when the coalition accepted former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

However, Harapan's rivals are not without their own problems.

The Malacca state election has driven Umno and PAS further apart after the latter sided with Bersatu, prompting Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin to describe Muafakat Nasional - the pact between Umno and PAS - to be nothing more than a name.

Meanwhile, Bersatu's Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, who has been criticising his own party and promised to make an important "announcement", appeared to back track yesterday, declaring his backing for PN's candidates in the Malacca polls.



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'I didn't snub Najib' - Seafood warung owner hurt by edited video
Haslinda Musa clarifies social media claims.
Key takeaways from PAS muktamar
Delegates toe the line.
Khalid: How many Malays have left Selangor for Kelantan?
MP slams govt for pushing race and religious rhetoric.

 



Medical marijuana

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has provided clarity over the use of medical marijuana, which has previously been a grey area.

In a parliamentary written reply, Khairy said products containing cannabis used for medicinal purposes are permissible, subject to legal compliance.

He explained that the existing laws that regulate cannabis in Malaysia - the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Poisons Act 1952 and the Sale of Drugs Act 1952 - do not prohibit the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Cannabis has been lumped together with other dangerous drugs and those handling them have been sent to the gallows.

A recent high-profile case was Muhammad Lukman Mohamad, who was initially sentenced to death but was later given a lesser charge.

On a separate issue, Khairy said the government is preparing projection numbers on the Health Ministry's needs in order to determine how many contract doctors can be absorbed into permanent positions.



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Circular to end period spot check 'progress' - SIS
However, they said details needed.
Violinist shares experience with period poverty
RM15 for chicken or menstrual pads.
Rotational attendance for schools - Edu Ministry
It involves five states.



A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 5,403 new cases yesterday (Nov 9).

  • 78 new fatalities put the Covid-19 death toll at 29,427.


New cases by state:

Selangor (1,080)
Kelantan (792)
Sabah (545)
Sarawak (416)
Kuala Lumpur (413)
Kedah (412)
Johor (385)
Pahang (258)
Terengganu (246)
Penang (245)
Malacca (200)
Perak (161)
Negeri Sembilan (160)
Putrajaya (48)
Perlis (35)
Labuan (7)


What else is happening?

  • The first 5G network will begin rollout today. The initial areas of focus will be in the areas of Cyberjaya, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur before expansion to other key cities next year.

  • Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who was sacked from Prasarana for his insensitive handling of an LRT accident that left scores injured, is tipped to be appointed as the Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia.

  • Malaysian Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam on death row in Singapore received a further stay of execution after testing positive for Covid-19.


HIGHLIGHTS

Bar tells S'gor to follow due process on forest reserves
'Govt should be protector of nature.'
Suaram slams overnight detention of OA activist
It calls on the police to stop detaining activists.
TI-M seeks transparency from govt on custodial deaths
'The rakyat can no longer accept excuses.'



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