Good morning. Here's what you should know today.
Key Highlights
Anti-non-Muslim campaigning
Sosma hunger strike
Anwar to meet MIC
Anti-non-Muslim campaigning
Just like in GE15, anti-non-Muslim sentiments are being played up on social media amid the six state elections.
Hate speech monitoring led by the Centre of Independent Journalists has found several instances of TikTok videos warning voters that “kafir harbi” would take over the country if Muslims are not united.
Kafir harbi refers to non-Muslims who are against Islam, and the term is usually used in the context of warfare when killing enemies is permitted.
The CIJ also flagged an instance in which a Perikatan Nasional candidate appeared to refer to DAP as kafir harbi.
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Sosma hunger strike
Families of 69 Sosma detainees - who are being held without trial - are on a hunger strike outside the Sungai Buloh prison.
The protesters, who number around 100, want their detained loved ones released, and want firm commitments from the government before ending their strike.
Pakatan Harapan - the lead coalition in the government - has previously held a position against Sosma.
However, its position now is aimed at amending Sosma instead.
De facto Deputy Law and Institutional Reforms Minister Ramkarpal Singh has called on the families to end their strike and be patient while the government works on those amendments.
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Anwar to meet MIC
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is expected to meet the MIC today.
The meeting is reportedly to discuss MIC being “mistreated” by Umno.
MIC and MCA had been left out of seat negotiations between BN - represented by Umno - and Pakatan Harapan.
MIC is also currently facing an internal schism as division leaders defect to support PN.
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Views that matter
 | By Ranjit Singh Malhi |
 | By S Thayaparan |
 | By R Nadeswaran |
Other news that matter
The Selangor Harapan-BN manifesto promises an annual incentive of RM1,000 for working mothers, RM1,500 assistance and RM200 in book vouchers for varsity students, among other goodies.
The Selangor government has also scrapped the contentious Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) project.
Over in Kelantan, PN is offering developments for soft skills, women, families and communities, youths, and the disabled, as well as the expansion of digital infrastructure and advancing agricultural productivity - among others.
Rubber tappers in Sik are lamenting falling prices of scrap rubber in Kedah.
Caretaker menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, however, said this was a matter for Putrajaya to handle.
Sanusi’s mocking of Anwar Ibrahim by copying the premier’s signature arm raise pose has sparked a viral campaign trend on social media.
Anwar has secured an interim injunction against Sanusi from repeating allegedly defamatory remarks being contested in a lawsuit.
PSM’s candidate for Meru Sivaranjani Manickam declared her assets worth RM287,916.28.
Bersatu supreme council member Muhammad Faiz Na’aman is unhappy that party leaders who lost in the 15th general election - including Rina Harun and Azmin Ali - are being given a second chance in the state polls.
A viral document alleging that the Saudi government has banned PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang from entering the country is fake.
Former Bachok MP Nik Abduh Nik Aziz is taking a sabbatical from politics.
Amanah’s candidate for Bukit Panau is hoping for a third-time charm after failing in his previous two election bids under Bersatu and Pejuang.
DAP’s Kerk Chee Yee has been elected as Malacca’s deputy state assembly speaker by the BN-led state government.
Police confirmed that the bomb found under lawyer Siti Kasim’s car is real, but was turned off.
A primary school teacher who was sacked for missing work for 4 years due to a water phobia preventing him from reaching the school, has won a court battle to be reinstated.
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