Good morning, here’s a quick rundown of what happened over the weekend.
Key Highlights
'Basikal lajak' appeal
PM candidates
EPF disbursement today
'Basikal lajak' appeal
The Court of Appeal will this morning hear an application by Sam Ke Ting, the driver in the Johor bicycle tragedy, to seek leave to appeal her conviction for reckless driving and causing the deaths of eight teens.
The decision is significant as the Johor Bahru High Court, which sent her to prison for six years, made it a precondition to secure leave to appeal in order to get a stay of execution.
In simple words, Sam must get permission to appeal her conviction from the Court of Appeal before she can postpone her jail sentence.
The case is high profile due to the circumstances and has even prompted high-powered lawyers such as Shafee Abdullah, who is acting for ex-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, to offer his services.
The Magistrate's Court, which cleared her had concluded that she drove responsibly and could not have foreseen a group of teens on "basikal lajak" (modified bicycles) in the middle of the highway at 3am, but the High Court overturned the decision and found she was driving recklessly.
The ethnicity of those involved has also led to a racialisation of the incident.
Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong, who is also the MCA president, lamented being targeted by those unhappy with the High Court's decision even though he had no control of the judiciary.
HIGHLIGHTS
 | Lawyer disagrees with charging parents. |
 | She says she doesn’t practise Islam. |
 | Wee says air ticket prices determined by market. |
PM candidates
Major political coalitions jumped on the bandwagon after Umno announced Ismail Sabri Yaakob as its prime ministerial candidate if BN wins in the 15th general election.
Bersatu, which leads the Perikatan Nasional coalition, said it planned to propose party president Muhyiddin Yassin as their prime ministerial candidate.
This was despite Bersatu's partner PAS stating that declaring a candidate now would be too hasty.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said PKR president Anwar Ibrahim remains Pakatan Harapan's prime ministerial candidate.
Anwar has yet to decide if he will defend his Port Dickson seat or switch to another parliamentary constituency.
Some have speculated that Umno announcing Ismail Sabri as the prime ministerial candidate was a ploy to get him to call an early general election but Umno denied this.
Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who is not aligned with Ismail Sabri, however, suggested that the announcement does not guarantee Ismail Sabri the premiership as things could change after the general election.
HIGHLIGHTS
 | Harapan should believe in their abilities, he says. |
 | Certain quarters moving to sully him, says Razlan. |
 | Norhizam is eyeing the Hang Tuah Jaya seat. |
EPF disbursement today
Those who applied for a special withdrawal from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will begin receiving their money as early as today.
Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the disbursement is being made two days earlier than planned.
In total, some 5.3 million people made applications for a special withdrawal for a total sum of RM40.3 billion.
HIGHLIGHTS
 | The alleged abuser is being represented by 10 lawyers. |
 | She will present the measures taken by the ministry. |
 | Commission links disappearance to religious activity. |
What else is happening?
The debate between opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and ex-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak is set to take place on May 12.
Police have arrested a suspect who threw himself into oncoming traffic as part of an alleged "crash-for-cash" scheme. The man was caught on camera and left the scene after learning there was a dashcam.
Italian confectionery giant Ferrero announced that it will stop sourcing palm oil from Sime Darby Plantations over forced labour concerns.
Kampung Baru residents called for Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s intervention after the Land Acquisition Act 1960 was invoked under his predecessor after they refused to accept offers by a developer for their land.
HIGHLIGHTS
 | Award-winning journalist bases pieces on scientific methods. |
 | Artist arrested over his version of villain from Powerpuff Girls. |
 | This after refusing to pay an RM400 fare. |
What are people saying?
 | By Aidila Razak |
 | By Mariam Mokhtar |
 | By Azalina Othman |
