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Key Highlights

  • Madani election carrot?

  • Rafizi's debate challenge

  • Rough start for Dominic Lau

Madani election carrot?

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been accused of dangling allocations in exchange for votes.

On Friday, Zahid, who is also the rural and regional development minister, announced that his ministry would give RM250,000 to the Terengganu Youth Council and RM200,000 to motorcycle teams throughout the state.

He then said there would be more aid if youths at the event side with the “blue and red wave” in the Aug 12 state polls.

Zahid has denied that this was a form of corruption.

HIGHLIGHTS

PM: Zahid's allocation announcement unrelated to polls
MACC chief says grants Zahid announced in T'ganu not graft
Muhyiddin: Don't question PN's funds for polls, they're from rakyat

Rafizi's debate challenge

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has challenged Bachok MP Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman to a debate on the economy.

Rafizi had initially challenged caretaker Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, and his predecessor in the ministry Azmin Ali to a debate, but both declined.

Mohd Syahir has indicated a willingness to debate Rafizi and is waiting for an invitation letter.

HIGHLIGHTS

Debating me won’t improve the economy, Sanusi tells Rafizi
Maybank admits oversight in 'PM's unclear policies' e-mail
Felda debt waiver: Muhyiddin hauls Anwar to court

Rough start for Dominic Lau

Gerakan president Dominic Lau's campaign for the Bayan Lepas state seat got off to a rough start.

Local PAS members had threatened to boycott Lau if he contested in the "Malay seat".

On nomination day, it appeared at first as though no PAS members were present up to support Lau.

At least one PAS member did show up later, while Lau claimed there were at least 20 PAS members in his entourage that day.

The Gerakan president said that disgruntlement over his nomination to Bayan Lepas is now settled.

HIGHLIGHTS

PN candidate: Can't stop Malay tsunami, Chinese can only join in
PAS' non-muslim candidate wants to promote 'PAS for All'
Maybank admits oversight in 'PM's unclear policies' e-mail

Views that matter

Key to change lies with the Malays
By Mariam Mokhtar
Don’t take Indians for granted
By P Ramasamy
Perhaps both Guan Eng and Chow should step aside
By Francis Paul Siah

Other news that matter

  • The younger brother of the late Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat accused caretaker Kelantan deputy menteri besar Mohd Amar Abdullah of blocking Nik Aziz's son Nik Abduh from contesting in Chempaka.

  • Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos had a "weird" moment with the local DAP members when they campaigned together.

  • Kedah PAS claimed a technical error led to four PN candidates in the state sharing the same educational qualification in their profile posters.

  • Catch up on campaigning by reading Day 1 and Day 2 of Malaysiakini's daily election blog.

  • The government has allocated an additional RM50 million to expand the Rahmah initiative.

HIGHLIGHTS

Mahfuz's 'mission impossible' and other hot contests in Kedah polls
Juwairiya willing to risk 'excellent track record' to go against Azmin
Dr M predicts 5-1 for PN, Anwar reminds him of Langkawi