Good morning. Here's what you need to know today.

Key Highlights

  • Najib's retrial gambit fails

  • BN citizenship carrot

  • Katak 'hip-hopcrisy'




Najib's retrial gambit fails

The Federal Court shot down former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's attempt to introduce fresh evidence to discredit SRC trial judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

The five-member bench, led by the chief justice, ruled that the application failed to show Nazlan had a conflict of interest.

Nazlan had worked at Maybank at the time when SRC secured loans from the bank.

Najib had hoped that the application could secure him a retrial.

The court also rejected an attempt by Najib's legal team to delay the final appeal hearing by three to four months.

The trial resumes on Thursday.

HIGHLIGHTS

Day 2 | Double blow for Najib
Najib 'shocked and disappointed' over unfavourable ruling
LCS scandal: Former navy chief charged with three counts of CBT




BN citizenship carrot

BN is leaning in on popular sentiment that women should also be given the right to pass on Malaysian citizenship to their children born overseas.

Wanita BN has proposed making it part of the coalition's election manifesto.

It should be noted that it is this current BN-led government that appealed against a High Court ruling that granted women this right.

The appeal led to the landmark ruling being overturned at the Court of Appeal.

Such an amendment also has bipartisan support, and could easily be passed if Parliament reconvenes before GE15.

HIGHLIGHTS

Muda blasts BN for overseas-born kids' citizenship polls promise
BN supreme council: No decision yet on parties applying to join coalition
Wan Saiful: Is PM afraid to meet his political allies?




Katak 'hip-hopcrisy'

Rapper Namewee released a new song last Friday that took a dig at political frogs.

The music video for Katak also featured Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

However, the cameo has resulted in some brickbats for the Muar MP, over his previous stance on party hopping when Bersatu took in Umno defectors.

HIGHLIGHTS

Activist decries hypocrisy over Syed Saddiq's cameo in 'Katak'
Najib: Syed Saddiq lampoons 'katak' four years late
Wan Junaidi: Anti-hopping bill to be presented for royal assent soon



Views that matter

MOH's white paper: A vision to future-proof M'sian healthcare
By Khairy Jamaluddin
Can DAP ever work with Umno?
By S Thayaparan
DAP’s detrimental ambivalence on GE15
By P Gunasegaram



What else is happening?

  • Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says there was a need to reform Malaysia's public healthcare to do away with over-centralisation and over-bureaucratisation - citing the UK's NHS as an example to be considered.

    He also said the government needs to make tough decisions to properly fund public healthcare, which is underfunded at the moment.

  • Two BN MPs admitted to signing support letters lobbying Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to support a request to include four Bangladesh recruitment agencies under the government's approved list.

    Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said this was "normal practice", but that such letters would not be entertained.

  • Migrant worker Sabri Umar is seeking justice after he was charged and whipped for illegal entry into the country, despite having valid documentation.



HIGHLIGHTS

Continue with the Mara Digital Project, PM tells Mara
Can't pay e-hailing fares? Take other public transport, govt says
LCS scandal: Hisham will suggest RCI to cabinet