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

Key Highlights

  • Election goodies and ammo

  • Anwar seat choices

  • PN logo dilemma




Election goodies and ammo

Caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced a slew of goodies since dissolving Parliament.

In the past two days he has announced:

  • one-off payments of RM1,000 to each Orang Asli village head nationwide

  • Interim profit distribution totalling RM181.5 million to Felcra participants

  • assurance that Felcra participant debts totalling RM233.8 million will be forgiven after the elections

  • increased allocation for contractors in working on the government's affordable housing projects by RM13,000 per unit.


Ismail also provided Umno with political ammo to use against Pakatan Harapan.

Separately, the Sabah government has announced a RM100,000 annual special grant for retired civil servant activities and programmes.

HIGHLIGHTS

PM: Use reports on Thomas’ book, Pulau Batu Puteh as ‘political ammo’
BN to decide on cooperation to form govt after GE
Ku Nan: Mahathir once asked me to 'rescue' him from DAP, Amanah




Anwar seat choices

Pakatan Harapan chief Anwar Ibrahim has reportedly narrowed down three possible seats for him to contest in GE15.

Perak Harapan hopes it will be Tambun. The two other seats are in the Klang Valley, but which ones exactly are unclear.

Meanwhile, PN is trying to goad Anwar into facing his former deputy Azmin Ali in Gombak.

Other expected lineup changes in Harapan include DAP's Syahredzan Johan taking over the Bangi seat from Ong Kian Ming.

Incumbent Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin may also be sitting out GE15 due to health reasons, while Wangsa Maju incumbent Tan Yee Kew is retiring from politics.


HIGHLIGHTS

DAP, Umno 'youth' leaders set to clash in Malay-heartland Gerik
Titiwangsa - rat race between Amanah and Muda for seat in KL
Liew or Boo - who will be Kit Siang’s successor in Iskandar Puteri?




PN logo dilemma

Which logo to use appears to have become a major consideration for Perikatan Nasional going into GE15.

Gerakan, for example, wants to use its own logo in Penang.

Meanwhile, PN is considering for the whole coalition to use the PAS logo in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah.

Gerakan said it would not contest in these states if it has to use the PAS logo - claiming it does not want to win by piggybacking on an ally's logo.

It is likely that Gerakan using PAS' logo in any circumstance would be used against the party in its bid to recapture Penang.

HIGHLIGHTS

PM: I should've sacked the ministers who wrote the letter to Agong
Razlan: Hadi given 'minister status' even though he can't work
Negeri Sembilan GTA proposes ex-IGP Hamid to face Tok Mat in Rembau



Views that matter

Harapan should not run a negative campaign
By S Thayaparan
Gearing up for mother of all parties
By R Nadeswaran
GE15 a ‘get out of jail free card’ for some leaders
By P Gunasegaram.



Other news that matter

  • After intense pressure from the public and politicians, the Education Ministry's disciplinary panel has cleared Cikgu Fadli of wrongdoing in openly criticising the education system and syllabus.

  • Alleged 1MDB mastermind Jho Low and his father have been sentenced to jail for contempt in absentia, for not complying with an injunction against them disposing their assets.

  • Perak will join Perlis and Pahang as the only states to hold state-level polls during GE15.

  • Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is in a tit-for-tat with Umno after he accused the latter of sending rowdy youths to disrupt his report card briefing in Muar.

  • Tajuddin Abdul Rahman made a surprise appearance at an Umno event in Bagan Datuk where he tried to kiss the hand of party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi - the subject of his criticisms which recently got him a six-year suspension from Umno.



HIGHLIGHTS

Liow is MCA's sole candidate for Bentong in GE15 - Wee
Mat Sabu: I may be dead soon, up to youths to save nation
E-waste smuggled into the country leaves a trail of pollution