Good morning, here’s a quick rundown of what happened over the weekend.


Key Highlights

  • PAS' awkward position

  • Covid-19 taking a toll on polls

  • Poster boy Najib





PAS' awkward position

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin's charm offensive on the Chinese community put PAS in an awkward position after he claimed the party was no longer pursuing their hudud agenda since joining the government.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man didn't want to respond to Muhyiddin, sidestepping questions about the party's latest position on hudud.

Muhyiddin made the comment during a dinner cobbled together by Chinese businesspersons in Johor Bahru amid campaigning for the state polls, in a bid to convince the Chinese community not to fear PAS, his coalition partner.

The event itself had irked PAS due to some risque dance performances which received a stamp of disapproval from the conservative party.

PAS demanded an apology from the organiser for showcasing such performances to Muslim leaders in PN, which comprises Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, Star and SAPP.



HIGHLIGHTS

Nostalgia and change in the battle for JB's Malay heartland

Crowd moshing at ministry’s rock concert raises cops' ire

PN minister mocked after mistakenly turning up at BN event





Covid-19 taking a toll on polls

The Covid-19 pandemic is taking a toll on the Johor state election, having knocked out at least five candidates from physical campaigning after they were infected. More than a dozen journalists have also come down with the Sars-CoV-2 virus.

Following the developments, Parti Bangsa Malaysia's Johor election director Hanizah Mohamed Talha called for more stringent standard operating procedures (SOP).

However, most established parties eager to campaign favour more relaxation and the government has relented, first allowing ceramah hours to be extended until midnight and now proposing to allow ceramah speakers to take off their masks when speaking.

One relaxation that the government has not implemented is reopening the border with Singapore, which has been a key topic in the Johor polls as campaigners argue it is essential to restart the Johor economy.

Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong claimed the border reopening has been delayed until after the state election and questioned if it was to stop Malaysians residing in Singapore from returning to vote.

BN has traditionally benefitted from a low turnout. BN has a strong and energised base that would go the extra mile to vote but a high turnout may likely dilute the voters' support for this coalition.



HIGHLIGHTS

Azmin recalls 'close front door, open back door' jibe

No further testing required after completing quarantine

BN and PN race to claim credit for Covid-19 vaccination effort





Poster boy Najib

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, who has been convicted of corruption, continued to campaign actively in the Johor polls, including overseeing the defection of Bersatu leaders to Umno.

The Pekan MP appeared to be banking on the fact that BN has the upper hand and could perform better in the polls, which he can then use to claim popular support despite his corruption cases.

Najib has received strong backing from Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who declared his aura had never faded even after he was ousted as the prime minister. Zahid is also facing graft charges.

Umno's Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin however distanced BN from Najib, stressing that the coalition's faces in the Johor polls are its state chief Hasni Mohammad and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Zahid and his allies have been pushing for elections amid a BN resurgence in order to consolidate their position ahead of the Umno polls.

He also declared an end to Umno's relationship with PAS despite PAS expressing hope for reconciliation.



HIGHLIGHTS

Govt withdraws bid to forfeit almost RM16m of Azeez’s family assets

Salahuddin keeps faith despite some not buying anti-graft message

Anti-climactic end to MCA-DAP debate baiting




A daily galnce at Covid-19

  • 27,435 new cases yesterday (March 6) brings the cumulative infections to 3,622,607.

  • 55 new fatalities put the death toll at 33,228.


New cases by states

Selangor (7,012)
Kedah (2,721)
Kuala Lumpur (2,685)
Johor (2,348)
Pahang (1,844)
Penang (1,663)
Negeri Sembilan (1,565)
Sabah (1,515)
Kelantan (1,279)
Perak (1,262)
Sarawak (1,244)
Terengganu (918)
Malacca (796)
Perlis (206)
Labuan (206)
Putrajaya (171)




What else is happening?

  • Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor said his government will never recognise claims by the Sulu Sultanate on the state. This is after the sultanate's heirs sought compensation from Malaysia for the territory which Malaysiakini explores in a KiniGuide.

  • Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegeran expressed concern at the government's silence on the future of attorney-general Idrus Harun, whose contract is expiring, questioning if a replacement who is more willing to drop graft cases against Umno leaders will be roped in.

  • Single mother Loh Siew Hong, who had been in the middle of a custodial battle after her children were unilaterally converted to Islam, thanked leaders from both sides of the political divide and NGOs for the overwhelming help they have provided her.




HIGHLIGHTS

The teacher who brings tech into rural Tamil classrooms and beyond

TGV apologises after complaint Batman screening restarted due to late VIPs

Downpour fails to dampen spirits at women’s day event





What are people saying?


'Blue Battle’ in rural Johor
By Bridget Welsh

Open letter to Rina: Please stand with teen mum in custody
By Hartini Zainudin

PM, master English for global stage, not shy away from it
By Malaysiakini readers