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Key Highlights
Will Najib go home?
The artist and the royal
Akmal & DAP save Christmas
Will Najib go home?
The High Court will decide today (Monday) whether former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak gets to spend the remainder of his prison sentence for the SRC International case under house arrest.
Najib is seeking the court to verify that an addendum order granting him house arrest, reportedly issued by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah during his last hours as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, is real.
If it exists, then he wants the order executed, releasing him from prison.
Najib’s prison sentence - which was halved by the Pardons Board last year - is due to end in August 2028. However, he might be eligible for early release on good behaviour in August next year after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
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The artist and the royal
Activist-artist Fahmi Reza was arrested on Friday over his series of social media posts targeting Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
In a post on Dec 15, Fahmi questioned why Tunku Ismail appeared able to act as he pleased without facing any legal repercussions, though it was unclear what prompted the posting.
The post, however, came less than a week after a company headed by the Johor regent launched a new cryptocurrency stablecoin, RMJDT.
Tunku Ismail is also the subject of intense speculation about his purported involvement in the recruitment of seven "heritage" footballers, whom the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) has accused of falsifying documents to obtain Malaysian citizenship.
Nine years ago, Tunku Ismail had urged the police not to arrest his critics.
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Akmal & DAP save Christmas
An unlikely alliance formed to protect Christmas decorations in Malacca.
DAP Youth, MCA Youth, and Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh each came out to protest a ruling by the Malacca Islamic Department banning Christmas decorations from halal-certified kitchens and restaurants.
Akmal said decorations do not affect the halal status of food.
Putrajaya later clarified that halal certification rules do not prohibit non-Islamic festive decorations - and that only ritual or worship equipment is barred from such premises.
As of writing, the Malacca Islamic authorities have not rescinded their order.
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Views that matter
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