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Key Highlights
PM facing trouble in three states
Umno struggles with DAP phobia
Thomas' memoir RCI greenlit
PM facing trouble in three states
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's leadership and credibility are being challenged in three states - Sabah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
In Sabah, Anwar had tried to broker a unity government between GRS, Sabah BN and Warisan.
However, Chief Minister Hajiji Noor went ahead with a cabinet reshuffle that saw Sabah BN chief Bung Moktar Radin booted out as deputy chief minister, while Warisan was still left out in the cold.
GRS claimed that Anwar is ”happy” with the new state line-up - which now includes his Pakatan Harapan coalition - but Warisan is accusing Hajiji of reneging on a unity government deal backed by the prime minister.
Meanwhile, the PN-led Kelantan and Terengganu administrations are upset that RM100 million in flood aid promised by Anwar is not being channelled to the state governments.
Instead, the aid funds are being handled by agencies under the Prime Minister's Department.
The dispute over who should handle the funds is believed to have prompted the Terengganu government to snub Anwar when he visited the state yesterday.
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Umno struggles with DAP phobia
After years of making DAP its punching bag at its AGM, Umno is now forced to do the opposite.
Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan tried to convince members that DAP was better than "two-faced" PN, and that Umno had not seen an increase in Malay support from attacking DAP.
Instead, he said Umno must turn into a clean party that appeals to both Malays and non-Malays.
Delegates are toeing the line so far, but several of them told Malaysiakini that they were still wary of DAP.
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Thomas' memoir RCI greenlit
The government has greenlit establishing a Royal Commission of Inquiry into former attorney-general Tommy Thomas' memoir.
The RCI's scope, however, will not be limited to recommendations by the special task force that probed the book.
Thomas' memoir covered his stint as attorney-general from 2018 to 2020. Among others, he addressed the appointment of judges, alleged interference by the executive in the judiciary and made claims of selective prosecution.
The task force had recommended that Thomas be probed for sedition and breaking government secrecy laws.
The task force also suggested that Thomas himself interfered in judicial appointments.
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