Internet connectivity – we ain’t all got it
While our urban centres generally enjoy great internet connectivity, in rural Malaysia, it’s a luxury. Sometimes modems have to be hoisted up flagpoles, we kid you not.
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter, PM Muhyiddin Yassin says snap polls may be at hand, another senior politician thinks the Muda party won’t go anywhere, and sadly, after a fortnight without any Covid-19 fatalities, we get two in the span of three days.
Another day, another cluster
Our Covid-19 numbers continue to climb and yet another cluster’s been detected in Sabah. But with just a week left to the polls, those aren’t stopping politicians from hitting the campaign trail hard.
In other news, at least three of Rosmah Mansor’s alleged cybertroopers (the ones paid to write sweet nothings about our former “first lady”) have been named; Top Glove may be top dog in terms of profits but its share prices have taken a dive; and two Malaysians are facing extradition to the United States in connection with an international hacking scandal.
Malaysia Day politicking
Welcome back and happy belated Malaysia Day, folks. We sure hope you had as wonderful a holiday as we did.
In today’s newsletter, we take another long look at the circus otherwise known as the Sabah elections with PM Muhyiddin Yassin taking the opportunity to somewhat slyly politicise Malaysia Day.
Meanwhile, Malaysia has sadly breached the 10,000 mark in terms of Covid-19 cases, no thanks to the huge surge of infections in Sabah; and, we’re treated to more juicy 1MDB tidbits concerning the offences (allegedly, allegedly) committed by former PM Najib Razak.
The ‘real’ reason 1MDB was established
According to a key witness in Jibby Razak’s 1MDB trial, the sovereign wealth fund wasn’t set up with the prime intention of transforming the Malaysian economy but to fund Umno.
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter (it’s a short one today folks), things get heated in Sabah, more than a thousand Malaysians appear to have had their data nicked by a Chinese tech company, a special task force is being set up to deal with environmental crimes, and our Covid-19 numbers go up some more.
It’s all systems go in Sabah
As many as 447 candidates will be vying for 73 seats in the Sabah state elections. But guess what? Musa Aman, the dude who was all set to wrest the chief ministership from Warisan’s Shafie Apdal just over a month ago, isn’t featuring.
In other news, Lim Guan Eng is staring at new corruption charges, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is on a mission to build his youth platform, and the country’s active Covid-19 cases have spiked to close to 600!
Benteng cluster: We should’ve listened
Another 40 Covid-19 cases have been detected in the ‘Benteng LD’ cluster in Lahad Datu and Tawau. And, we can’t help but equate this to concerns voiced by human rights groups at the very start of the MCO, when authorities began rounding up undocumented migrants.
In other news, we finally get a gander at the written judgment by the judge who sentenced former PM Najib Razak for corruption-related offences; and, there is just no pleasing some people on either side of the political divide as the various parties revealed their candidate lists for Sabah.
End of the road for Musa Aman?
In a sorta shocking turn of events, Musa Aman is not among the list of candidates for BN in the impending Sabah elections, potentially throwing a spanner in the works to his plan of claiming the chief ministership for a third time.
In other news, former Moneybags Minister Lim Guan Eng will be in court tomorrow to face two more corruption-related charges; investigations into a current minister for violating home quarantine order have been completed; and, police have suggested classifying water source pollution cases where sabotage is suspected as organised crime.
All set for Sabah rumble
Musa Aman and his band of merry men have failed in their legal bid to question the governor’s decision to dissolve the state assembly instead of making him Sabah head honcho, so it’s to the polls we go. We take a look at the major hitters in the election as we gear towards nominations on Saturday.
In other news, PM Muhyiddin Yassin is consolidating power within his own party and, it must be said, Perikatan as well; a whole bunch of people have come to the defence of Sabah lass Veveonah Mosibin against the two big, bad wolves deputy ministers; and, our Covid-19 numbers have shot up by a horrifying 100 new cases.
Not all records are meant to be broken
Not since the Recovery Movement Control Order was announced have we seen such high numbers. Sadly, Malaysia yesterday recorded over 60 new Covid-19 cases thanks to an outbreak among inmates and staff at a lockup facility in Sabah.
Meanwhile, even as water woes continue, the family of the four brothers accused of causing the disruptions have proclaimed their innocence. But if not them, then who? Also, former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman is back in court and a deputy minister doubles down on his attack against Sabah teen-on-a-tree Veveonah.
A mix of oil and water
Four brothers, owners of a factory, have been arrested for allegedly polluting a major river and causing unscheduled water cuts across Selangor and KL. As dry taps run into day 4, the rakyat’s blood is boiling as it turns out this isn’t the first time this factory has pulled this stunt.
Meanwhile, our national oil and gas company reports some alarming losses, parties get serious over seat allocations in Sabah and Malaysia goes for a fifth day without any Covid-related deaths.