Harapan's big tent problem

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Key Highlights

• Harapan's big tent problem
  
  

• Bicycle tragedy driver freed
  
  

• Govt eyes prosecution of Tan Sri

Harapan's big tent problem

Amanah continued to push for Pakatan Harapan to adopt the "big tent" approach - a strategy to forge cooperation with non-Harapan opposition parties.

However, Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the PKR president, did not appear keen, describing it as "not relevant".

Anwar said while he is not opposed to such efforts, he stressed the focus should be on strengthening Harapan internally.

Former DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng previously also pushed for the big tent approach but Anwar pointed out his successor Anthony Loke has stressed on strengthening Harapan, an indication that PKR is hoping for a change of tune.

DAP and Amanah have previously pressured PKR to cooperate with parties such as Warisan and Pejuang but PKR's reluctance had caused friction in the coalition.



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Bicycle tragedy driver freed

Sam Ke Ting, the driver in the Johor bicycle tragedy, has been freed from custody on bail.

This was after the Court of Appeal granted her permission to appeal her conviction by the Johor Bahru High Court which sent her to prison for six years for reckless driving.

The Johor Bahru High Court previously refused to stay her sentence, asking her to first secure the permission to appeal, causing her to be detained pending the decision.

Presiding over the case was judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who previously sentence ex-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to 12 years in prison for corruption.

The other judges on the panel are P Ravinthran and Lee Heng Cheong.

Sam had hit a group of teens riding modified bicycles on a highway in Johor Bahru at 3.20am on Feb 18, 2017. Eight of them were killed.



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Govt eyes prosecution of Tan Sri

Human Resources Minister M Saravanan revealed that the government is seeking the prosecution of two high profile former employers for allegedly mistreating their Indonesian domestic workers.

In January, Malaysiakini reported that the "Tan Sri" paid his domestic worker RM100,000 after she fled from her wealthy employer and intended to sue him for 12 years of unpaid wages.

As Indonesia gains economic strength, the country has taken a more proactive approach to push Putrajaya to act against the mistreatment of its citizens working in Malaysia.

Malaysia has also come under pressure from the US to act against labour exploitation as industries suspected of engaging in forced labour faced sanctions.



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What else is happening?

• The MACC has summoned 10 witnesses for questioning over the alleged unauthorised sale of state land intended for the development of an airport in Perak.
  
  

• The environmental impact assessment report for a proposed open cast gold mine in a permanent forest reserve in Kelantan has warned that it will not only threaten tigers' habitat but also potentially cause catastrophic floods.
  
  

• Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said some 20 vacant envoy positions will be filled in the near future following a leaked audio recording complaining about the ministry facing difficulties in getting them filled.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	Ex-civil servant, contractor nabbed by MACC in Sandakan The offences were believed to have been committed in 2018 and 2019.
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	MOT sec-gen: Flight prices reduced by over 30pct Prices have gone down as of this morning.

What are people saying?

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