Najib guilty, but can he contest GE15?

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

Key Highlights

• Najib guilty, but can he contest GE15?
  
  
• No social distancing at PM report card event
  
  
• MOF appointed 5G contractor unilaterally
  
  

Najib guilty, but can he contest GE15?

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak may get the last laugh at his critics after uncertainty emerged over his status as a convict.

While it is clear that he secured a stay of execution to stay out of jail, what is not clear is whether he secured a stay of conviction as well and what the implications of that are.

According to deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul, the stay is on both execution and conviction.

Lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla wants the Court of Appeal to clarify the matter.

With a stay of execution, Najib can still serve as Pekan MP for now but can't contest in the next general election unless absolved by the Federal Court.

However, if he has a stay of conviction as well, whether or not he is still disqualified as a candidate is unclear.

HIGHLIGHTS

	COA: Ex-AG invalidated Arab donation claim Apandi's flowchart shows the truth.
	1MDB: DPP wants stay on dismissal of forfeiture bid Handbags among items in contention.
	Police told to probe Zeti's husband further The instruction came from the AGC.

No social distancing at PM report card event

The government's '100 Days Keluarga Malaysia Aspiration' celebration at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday experienced a total meltdown in SOPs.

The government's SMS broadcast calling for a large gathering appeared to work, with many showing up to witness Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob unveiling the cabinet's 100-day report card.

However, there was a complete disregard for social distancing, despite the organisers claiming they had systems in place to keep the crowd in check.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin - who was also present at the event - had previously warned members of the public to stay out of crowded places, but it appears that the government itself did not heed this advice.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Cabinet scores '90pct' on the 100-day report card The score is given by the PM himself.
	RM109b approved by Miti in 100 days This is to increase FDI.
	Defence Ministry achieves KPI Hisham says15 initiatives involved.

MOF appointed 5G contractor unilaterally

A deputy minister has revealed that it was the Finance Ministry's idea to put Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) in charge of setting up the country's 5G infrastructure, which it will then lease to telcos.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin said his ministry had no input on the matter, but it appeared convinced by DNB's claim that their services will be cheaper than 4G.

Industry players have expressed scepticism over DNB's plans and have been reluctant to come on board, prompting the MOF Inc-owned company to offer a free-trial period for telcos.

Only Telekom Malaysia has signed on with DNB thus far

HIGHLIGHTS

	HSR revival still in early discussions Cost cuttings not discussed yet.
	Covid delays Sabah Pan Borneo Highway DCM also blames 'stubborn' residents.
	'Lynas PDF may illegally bypass planning council' MP: PDF did not get prior approval.

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 5,446 new cases yesterday (Dec 9).
  
  
• Hospital admissions of Covid-19 patients declined by 6.3 percent in the past 7 days, compared to the week before.
  
  
• 41 fatalities bring the death toll to 30,787.
  
  

New cases by state:

Selangor (1,467)
Johor (551)
Kelantan (495)
Pahang (438)
Malacca (373)
Kedah (338)
Sabah (329)
Kuala Lumpur (315)
Penang (275)
Perak (244)
Negeri Sembilan (236)
Terengganu (202)
Sarawak (90)
Perlis (40)
Putrajaya (32)
Labuan (21)

What else is happening?

• The government said it will not revive local council elections, as this would be too expensive and there was no guarantee that "good councillors" would be elected.
  
  
• Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz says there is confusion over the liquor licence requirements for coffee shops, but he stressed that this was under the purview of the state governments.
  
  
• Human rights group Edict has launched a petition to reject the severely panned Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) Bill.
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Ali Biju withdraws from Sarawak polls He will now back GPS.
	Uphill battle for Batu Lintang incumbent Ex-PKR rep seeks the third term under PSB.
	Some eateries increase prices Others mull doing so next year.

What are people saying?

	The moral courage of four judges By James Chai
	The racially charged narrative used against Pua By S Thayaparan
	Will Pekan Nanas become Pineappolis? By Kua Kia Soong