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

Key Highlights

  • PM asserts no meddling in Zahid DNAA

  • Equal funding: Govt wants negotiations first

  • 'Baby snatching' not just a stateless problem

PM asserts no meddling in Zahid DNAA

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has asserted that he did not interfere with former attorney-general Idrus Harun's decision to withdraw corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said he did not discuss Idrus' decision on the matter and only asked for justifications and clarifications.

However, Anwar's clarification in the Dewan Rakyat did not sit well with the opposition, especially after he implied that PN had interfered with Idrus' work when they were in power.

HIGHLIGHTS

Radzi ejected, PN MPs stage walkout
Azalina raps PN for not separating AG and PP when in power
KJ slams Kit Siang's one-liner over Zahid's DNAA

Equal funding: Govt wants negotiations first

The government continues to put the burden of providing equal funding for all lawmakers on the opposition.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that the opposition must sit down with Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof to discuss terms for equal funding first.

PN had already named representatives who were supposed to negotiate with Fadillah back in April.

However, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil claimed that the opposition has not made a move to come to the table since then.

Meanwhile, Anwar said that funding for MPs can’t be used to pay for the weddings of constituents and that this would invite an MACC probe.

HIGHLIGHTS

Syed Saddiq slams Anwar's 'no action, talk only' govt
Don't cherry-pick to portray 'talk only' govt, Syed Saddiq told
Tun Faisal: Charge Zahid or we may take to the streets again

'Baby snatching' not just a stateless problem

Incidents of alleged baby snatching by authorities are not limited to Sabah or to stateless people.

Child rights activist Hartini Zainuddin said that babies are taken away from Malaysian mothers too.

She said part of the problem was the absence of clear procedures that have empowered Welfare Department officers to "arbitrarily" declare a mother unfit to care for her newborn.

Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri said that the SOPs would be made public.

She also stressed that the government does their best to ensure mothers have custody of their children - if they can prove the baby is theirs.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is launching its own investigation into allegations of baby snatching involving the Lahad Datu Hospital in Sabah.

HIGHLIGHTS

Stateless boy with HIV dies after being deprived treatment for years
Mounting hospital bills lead to stateless mum-baby murder-suicide
'Baby snatching': MP wants independent probe after swift denial casts doubts

Views that matter

Malaysia cannot move forward with bumiputera agenda
By S Thayaparan
Is Anwar misreading the Malay mood?
By P Gunasegaram
Can Malaysia learn how to handle race relations from Brazil?
By Zan Azlee

Other news that matter

  • A Bank Negara analyst testified in court that US$50 million in funds that originated from 1MDB landed in Najib Abdul Razak's account.

    Of this amount, US$20 million had been channelled through a "Prince Faisal" of Saudia Arabia.

  • Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari is expected to replace the late Salahuddin Ayub as the domestic trade and cost of living minister, according to sources in Amanah.

  • One hundred and thirty-five MPs from both sides of the political divide called for the release of Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

  • Malaysiakini's Sokong app is running a "Pie It Forward" campaign until Sept 25, where donors can support autism centre Persatuan Stand (Stand Pie Me) to create pies that would be sent to underprivileged children.

    Click here to donate to the campaign.

HIGHLIGHTS

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