Bersatu moves to 'kill' Zuraida first

Good morning, here's a quick rundown of what happened over the Chinese New Year holidays.

Key Highlights

• Bersatu moves to 'kill' Zuraida first
  
  
• PAS snipes at Zahid faction
  
  
• Will Kedah polls be next?
  
  

Bersatu moves to 'kill' Zuraida first

Bersatu is moving to sack Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin before she can hurt them, although a decision has not been finalised.

The party's supreme council is concerned that Zuraida may be involved with Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).

PBM - which wants to align itself with Bersatu's rival Umno - consists of mostly of ex-PKR leaders aligned to Zuraida and Azmin Ali.

Several PBM leaders had originally followed the duo into Bersatu before defecting to join the new party.

PBM secretary-general Nor Hizwan Ahmad - who is closely affiliated with Zuraida - has denied that she is a party member.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Zuraida chides US customs This is over action against Sime Darby
	Hearing on PKR suit vs Zuraida next month She failed to dismiss the suit.
	Over 78k apply to join PKR The list will be reviewed.

PAS snipes at Zahid faction

After days of pecking at each other, PAS is refining its attacks against Umno to focus on Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's faction.

PAS information chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin said Zahid's "court cluster" is to blame for the tensions, while praising the "government cluster" for wanting to unite Muslims.

However, Nizam warned that PAS' patience has its limits.

Previously PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin warned that their support for the Umno-led government was conditional.

However, Umno supreme council member Razlan Rafii maintained that the ones driving the two parties apart are the PAS leaders blinded by government positions.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Don't be nosy, PAS leader tells members Perak chief urges trust in leadership.
	PMO denies PM begging for support Police report lodged over 'fake news'.
	Kit Siang asks who is Umno's PM candidate He worries Najib will return.

Will Kedah polls be next?

There have been rumblings that Kedah may be the next state to hold a snap state election.

The speculation appears to have been spurred by the Umno-PAS squabbles.

However, the Kedah state government is in no danger of collapsing if Umno and PAS call it quits.

This is because PAS and Bersatu have 21 seats combined, which gives them a two-seat majority in the 36-seat state assembly.

Any defections by Umno's two assemblypersons would not have any impact.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the snap poll rumours are "senseless stories".

HIGHLIGHTS

	Mat Hasan: No need for Kedah snap polls 'It's not an urgent need'.
	Ibrahim Ali: PAS is 'mentally sick' He also agrees Umno a 'lame duck'.
	Puad dares PN to use 'Abah Sayang Johor'  Muhyiddin not contesting state polls.

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 5,736 new cases yesterday (Feb 2), the highest in 62 days, since Dec 2.
  
  
• The hospital utilisation rate is at 60.2 percent, while the ICU occupancy rate is 49.9 percent.
  
  
• R-number was at 1.15, signalling an exponential growth in cases.
  
  

What else is happening?

• A tornado or landspout wreaked havoc in Ipoh, damaging more than 300 houses. Victims will be receiving RM1,300 in financial aid.
  
  
• Police will be questioning the whistleblower who exposed MACC chief Azam Baki's shareholding scandal today.
  
  
• Simpang Rengam MP Maszlee Malik slammed the graft probe against him as being politically motivated by the forthcoming Johor polls. He also drubbed inconsistencies in the allegations against him.
  
  
• A senior police officer called on the government to enforce whipping on undocumented migrants to deter them from making repeat illegal entries.
  
  
• The MCMC asked Twitter to delete a tweet by political analyst James Chin that was critical of Taliban sympathisers.
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Pedra Branca: Court seals OSA docs Govt succeeds in bid.
	RTD to punish bad drivers' driving schools The method is still in the works.
	Rara: Malay DAP leaders not sidelined 'The hardworking get opportunities'.

What are people saying?

	Govt’s wry jokes are no laughing matter By R Nadeswaran
	Malaysia’s long-lived ethnocracy By Lim Teck Ghee
	Regressing on freedom of assembly By Syahredzan Johan

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