PM Moo’s love triangle
Despite recent squabbles and on-going backbiting, PM Muhyiddin Yassin insists Bersatu’s alliance with Umno and PAS is crucial for the unity of Malaysia’s Malay-Muslims. How long this ménage à trois can last, though, is anyone’s guess.
In other news, rumours abound that Anwar Ibrahim’s prepared to quit as opposition leader if he fails to show majority support in the Dewan Rakyat, the Bugaya and Gerik by-elections’ set for Jan, and did the oldest man in the world succumb to Covid-19 in Sabah?
Budget vote: You wouldn’t believe the drama
Round one goes to the prime minister as Budget 2021 passed the first test amidst much drama. As the vote monopolised our news feeds yesterday, the majority of local news we’re bringing you today is on that most important of issues, from what happened to what comes next.
Meanwhile, our Covid-19 numbers remain almost the same as yesterday, and it was another record-breaking day as far as recoveries are concerned.
Guess which schools get the most moolah
Le gomen has a new system in town to determine distribution of moolah for the various types of schools in the country, and let’s just say some (cough gomen cough Chinese schools cough) are gonna be far happier than others.
Also, it’s Budget 2021 vote day! Or is it? There’s good news on the Covid-19 front with daily new cases dropping way down and possible vaccine shots coming in early next year; and another cop gets shot at, at the border.
Over two-bloody-thousand
Unfortunately, we finally cross the 2k-mark when it comes to daily Covid-19 cases. And while it’s mainly due to that damned ‘Teratai’ cluster involving Top Glove employees, the company isn’t showing signs of slowing down operations.
In other news, there’re more Budget 2021 shenanigans (as usual), there’s a bit of a ruckus in Parliament over the removal of cabotage exemptions, and a shootout at the Malaysia-Thailand border has left one policeman dead.
Our ‘Top Glove’ Covid nightmare
Our Covid numbers see a huge spike, but could our largest contributing cluster have been avoided? It’s linked to Top Glove — the glove-making giant that’s made a killing profit-wise since the pandemic hit.
In other news, the government warns of a CMCO extension; U̶m̶n̶o̶ BN issues a Budget support ultimatum and the world’s biggest tech companies slam an ‘abrupt’ new rule that could hamper internet connectivity here.
Is Umno heading for a split?
The infighting within Umno intensifies as voting day for Budget 2021 approaches at the Dewan Rakyat. Worse, it’s threatening to bubble over and affect us all.
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter, there are mixed messages as to whether race and religion are behind KL’s soon-to-be-introduced hard liquor rules, Malaysia Airlines seeks a cash injection from Khazanah Nasional, and relaxed travel rules for Covid-19 green zones has us turning, well, green with envy.
Is there finally a light at the end of the Covid tunnel?
Malaysia’s planning to buy into a global programme for the development of a Covid-19 vaccine. Coming just a day after inking a vaccine deal with China, dare we hope of a possible Covid-free future?
For now, though, our daily coronavirus numbers have shot back up to four figures; a government move’s been likened to a Nazi practice during World War II; a minister threatens legal action; and we talk some money matters.
Emergency declared in Batu Sapi
The King declares emergency but only in Batu Sapi, postponing the by-elections there. Clearly, the gomen’s learnt its lesson from the Sabah polls which led to a spike in Covid-19 cases, but could this be a tangled web we’re weaving?
Meanwhile, we find out more depressing figures about what this stupid pandemic is costing us; our daily infection numbers drop to triple digits (huzza!); and, there’s a bunch of corruption-related news.
Hey Ho it’s abang Jho!
Guess who’s back in the news? Why, it’s none other than everybody’s not-so-favourite fugitive financier, Jho Low. We have all the deets, so grab some murukku, folks, cos there’s gonna be some drama.
In other news, KL City Hall has issued new guidelines for liquor sales which have some up in arms; our Covid-19 numbers are in the four-digit realm for the fifth day running; and a former DPM wants our leaders to… errr… lead by example by having their salaries cut.
Come together, right now
Is a grand coalition of parties truly the way forward for Malaysia?
Or is this latest call for unity (sorta!) just part of a plan to ensure Primeiro Ministro Muhyiddin Yassin stays in power?
Elsewhere in today’s newsletter, debate over Budget 2021’s rages on; the powers that be are considering tighter movement restrictions for Kuala Lumpur; and the first virtual APEC summit kicks off.