Good morning. Here's what you should know today.

Key Highlights

  • Muhyiddin's abuse of power case

  • Guan Eng's legal threat

  • Hamzah's files


Muhyiddin's abuse of power case

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin claimed trial on Friday to abuse of power and money laundering in relation to RM232.5 million.

The funds had allegedly been channelled to Bersatu's accounts.

Muhyiddin and his supporters claim this is the latest in a series of political persecution against Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional.

He had offered to resign as Bersatu president, but this was rejected by the party.

The former prime minister will be facing another corruption charge in the Shah Alam court today, March 13.

HIGHLIGHTS

Muhyiddin dares MACC to probe Anwar, Zahid
‘I’m having sleepless nights’ – Muhyiddin says over court cases
Faizal: If someone were to steal, they would have hidden it well

Guan Eng's legal threat

In a related development, Lim Guan Eng is threatening to sue Muhyiddin.

This is after the former prime minister alleged that Lim had cancelled the Albukhary Foundation's tax-exempt status during the latter's time as finance minister.

Lim has denied this and has given Muhyiddin until Wednesday to apologise and retract his remarks.

However, Muhyiddin has refused to do so and he wants Lim to explain his role in the matter.

He also alleged that the DAP chairperson was on the defensive out of fear over the potential backlash for disrupting one of the largest Malay-led social welfare foundations.

HIGHLIGHTS

Who's who in Muhyiddin's trial
'Syed Mokhtar can donate to whoever he wants ' - Bersatu sec-gen
Muhyiddin predicts end of Umno under Zahid

Hamzah's files

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin indicated that he may have files on government party leaders from his time as home minister.

He revealed this while speaking out against alleged political persecution against the opposition.

He said he too can find the government's faults based on these files, but was coy on whether he would make use of such information.

HIGHLIGHTS

C4: PN claim of political interference 'not completely baseless'
AGC, MACC deny any interference in Jana Wibawa probes
Hadi delivers Friday sermon in mosque despite ban from state Islamic body

Views that matter

The shame of being 'Malay first'
By Mariam Mokhtar
Hadi might not be able to put out fire he sparked
By Francis Paul Siah
Muhyiddin's shrill moralism unbecoming
By Terence Netto

Other news that matter

  • Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin claimed that the remarks by PAS about an impending change of government had been misunderstood.

    He assured that democracy would be upheld.

  • An MACC officer is one of four suspects who were nabbed for soliciting and taking bribes in relation to the Jana Wibawa programme.

  • Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad defeated her challenger Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in the Umno polls.

    Meanwhile, Malacca state exco Dr Muhamad Ikmal Saleh is the new Umno Youth chief.

  • Former Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki is the new Mara chairperson.

  • Former second finance minister Johari Abdul Ghani has been appointed as the chair of a special task force on 1MDB.

  • Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his plan to allow desperate EPF contributors to use their retirement funds as collateral for emergency loans does not violate the EPF Act.

    The plan has been panned as risky by the Sarawak Bank Employees' Union.

  • A medical officer is urging action against alleged wage theft at university hospitals, where officers are not compensated for weekend on-call work.

  • Police are probing the Women’s March this year under the Peaceful Assembly Act.

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