All about corruption
From Najib Razak to Rosmah Mansor, Lim Guan Eng to MARA, it seemed our news feeds were inundated with news about corruption (allegedly, allegedly) yesterday.
In other news, the government has finally made clear just where we are required to wear face masks; our Covid-19 numbers are back up to double digits; the man who toppled a state government may not get to see a return to power; and, a media outlet has pooh-poohed our top cop’s statement regarding the raid on its KL office.
Najib spins a sad tale
Disgraced former big kahuna Najib Razak is at it again. That he’s claiming innocence in his many court cases is no shocker, but he’s now saying he is being punished for being a man of charity. There’s a problem with this though – read on to find out what.
In other news, our coppers are recommending a new inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim’s death, as though one wasn’t enough; the authorities have raided the offices of Al Jazeera as well as local entities Astro and Unifi TV; there’s more about political kataks; and, we’ve recorded only one daily Covid-19 case for only the second time since July 1.
Dr M wants Sabah’s political frogs fried
Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he’s heading to Sabah to campaign for his friends, and make sure the frogs who hopped on over to support Musa Aman get punished by the electorate. What’s funny though, is that history contains many examples where the former PM appeared to be in favour of defections.
Also in the news, Tommy Thomas hits back at claims that criminal proceedings against Goldman Sachs wouldn’t have ensured a better compensation package; the government looks to make the MySejahtera app compulsory for contact tracing, and Azmin Ali and Lim Guan Eng square off in Parliament over Malaysia’s stand on a trade partnership.
Four areas in Kedah on ‘lockdown’
Twenty cases of Covid-19 infection have been linked to a home quarantine breaker in Kubang Pasu. And now, targeted movement curbs are being enforced in four Kedah localities.
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter, Sabah Umno and its allies quarrel over seat allocations for the upcoming state polls, Umno refuses to be a part of formalised Perikatan Nasional, and Lim Guan Eng asks more legit questions about that Goldman deal.
The Sabah Political Crisis: What It Means For Pakatan, Perikatan And Malaysia
The events of July 2020 plunged Sabah into a political crisis. Here’s how this imbroglio affects all of us.
No money, mo’ problems
It was a tough choice for our top story today, but in the end we decided to go with the thing that makes the world go round. Yup folks, it’s got to do with money, moolah, cash, the dough.
Coming in a close second was the fact that while a certain East Malaysian state is mandated to hold its state elections by next year, the other may just have to go through it all again, sooner than expected. In other news, we take a look at the latest regarding the SRC International case against Najib Razak and some Covid-19 updates.
It’s a public holiday tomorrow, and there won’t be a BTL newsletter (don’t miss us too much, now!). To our Muslim friends, Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha, maaf zahir dan batin. Enjoy yourselves, but stay safe always.
Guilty as charged!
Yesterday was a historic day as, for the first time in our relatively short history as a nation, a former prime minister was convicted of criminal offences. As such, almost the entirety of today’s newsletter is devoted to one Najib Razak, his SRC International trial and reactions to it.
By the way, if you want some comprehensive (if we do say so ourselves) background and context to the trial – and in case you missed it – you can read our newsletter yesterday, here, before heading into what happened.
It’s D-day for Najib Razak
It’s decision day for Najib Razak in the first of many 1Malaysia Development Berhad-related cases, and guilty or innocent, the verdict today is guaranteed to have massive impact.
Also in the news, Anwar Ibrahim is confident of Pakatan Harapan winning the next election, the government’s approved interstate travel for Hari Raya Haji, and in the midst of a whole lotta fighting, two important laws get discussed in Parliament.
What’s the deal with the Goldman deal?
After almost two years of parleying, we’ve finally got a commitment from Goldman Sachs to shell out as much as US$3.9 billion over its role in the 1MDB fiasco. But as massive as that amount may seem, the big question is – are we getting shortchanged?
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter, the cops get ready to move in on Covidiots, our Comms Minister issues another statement on filming licences, and Anwar Ibrahim still isn’t done talking about frenemy Mahathir Mohamad.
Saifuddin slammed!
Comms Minister Saifuddin Abdullah has become an instant sensation for saying that even social media users are subject to film licensing laws under the National Film Development Corporation.
In other news, face masks are, from next month, gonna be the next trendy fashion accessory; and, allegations of attempts to turn Sabah government reps from princes into frogs are gaining ground.