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

Key Highlights

• Solo: A logo wars story
  
  
• Return of Johor BN?
  
  
• Ghost ship projects
  
  

Solo: A logo wars story

Pakatan Harapan is on the verge of imploding after PKR decided to use its own logo in the Johor polls.

PKR's critics within the coalition are accusing it of flying solo, and that Harapan now exists in name only.

Meanwhile, DAP and Amanah chiefs Lim Guan Eng and Mohamad Sabu assured their parties would not abandon Harapan, while giving a subtle rebuke to PKR.

PKR in turn is saying logos don't determine a coalition, citing that DAP and Amanah contested under the Warisan logo during the 2020 Sabah election.

At the same time, the party wants to use Johor as a litmus test to convince DAP and Amanah to also adopt the PKR logo.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Johor PKR, Amanah take 20 seats each Seats may be given up to outside candidates.
	Pejuang pans PKR for using own logo Marzuki says Anwar not walking unity talk.
	Maszlee downplays MB talk 'Let's focus on winning first.'

Return of Johor BN?

While Harapan squabbles internally, its main rival BN is looking to repeat its success in Malacca and make a major comeback.

MCA, which lost all 15 Johor state seats it contested in 2018, is hopeful that it can regain ground.

The party had already made one significant win in 2019, when Wee Jeck Seng won back the Tanjung Piai seat at the height of public disgruntlement with the then Harapan government.

MIC is also looking to make gains and increase its seat share from two in 2018 to four or five.

If Harapan again fails to convince a good turnout among its supporters, a BN resurgence may be on the horizon.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Shahril warns PAS over attacks He says Johor cooperation is at risk.
	Ex-Johor Bersatu chief quits party Mazlan backs Umno's Hasni as MB.
	Johor Umno anticipates more Bersatu frogs The reception is icy.

Ghost ship projects

The MACC has unearthed another skeleton in the closet in the Navy's long-delayed and plagued littoral combat ship (LCS) project.

A broker who was has been arrested is believed to have engineered 'ghost' projects to siphon RM24 million from the project.

The 62-year-old suspect is said to have engaged three firms to act as sub-contractors and carry out works that don't exist.

The LCS project goes back to 2011 when shipbuilder Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd was awarded an RM9 billion contract to build six ships for the Navy.

The government has already paid out RM6 billion.

The first LCS was supposed to be delivered in 2019, but the project has been hit by delays, and the most recent estimate for the first delivery is 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Anwar questions GLC loans to gambling firm 3 banks gave Genting HK RM2.5b in unsecured loans.
	Ex-1MDB CFO denies getting bribes from Goldman Azmi also denies manipulating the 1MDB board.
	Bukit Bintang Umno chief to chair Pharmaniaga Change takes effect on Feb 1.

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 5,439 new cases yesterday (Jan 27), the highest in 49 days.
  
  
• 10 new fatalities bring the death toll to 31,940.

What else is happening?

• Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says the Omicron wave has begun in Malaysia, but he is hopeful that vaccinations and boosters will keep the situation under control.
  
  
• The Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by Najib Abdul Razak to reinstate a lawsuit against former banker Joanna Yu and AmBank.
  
  
• A group of former MACC officers urged the government to hasten reforms in an effort to improve Malaysia's dwindling corruption perception ranking.
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Covid-19 vax appointment booking for kids soon This will start with parents in the Klang Valley.
	Zii Jia, Jin Wei can compete in international events again BAM released them from their contracts.
	PAS' Ahmad Fadhli is the new PN Youth chief He replaces Khairil Nizam Khirudin.

What are people saying?

	Muda should not hitch its wagon to Harapan By S Thayaparan
	What is in a logo? By Aidi Amin
	MACC must first clean up its own house By Malaysiakini readers