KINI ROUNDUP | Here are the key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

Perlis mufti in hot water

The publisher of Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin's book announced a Hinduism poem contest after disapproving of the Perlis mufti's poem that allegedly insulted Hindus.

Mohd Asri defended the poem, claiming he was referring to the situation in India, but it did not stop a slew of police reports against him.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy also criticised Mohd Asri for the poem.

Johari not in 1MDB settlement talks

Finance Minister II Johari Abdul Ghani clarified he was not involved in 1MDB's settlement talks with Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), after the opposition demanded he explain if taxpayers funds will be involved.

The US$1.2 billion settlement will reportedly be paid through the sale of "fund units" in 1MDB's subsidiary Brazen Sky Ltd.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said determining who is the buyer of Brazen Sky Limited will be an acid test for 1MDB's auditors.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said settlement talks will likely drag into 2020 as apart from the US$1.2 billion, there is still another US$3.5 billion owed to IPIC that is still unresolved.

PKR Youth ticks off KJ over quota system

PKR Youth ticked off minister Khairy Jamaluddin for saying the quota system was an insult to Malays, stating it only became an insult because the system was abused.

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali reminded Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister Noh Omar that his state was a major contributor to the national gross domestic product, after the latter cut funding for small local council projects in non-BN constituencies.

On a separate matter, Azmin said PKR's disciplinary panel will discuss the case of youth leader Adam Rosly, who was charged with providing false information to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), but stressed that he is innocent until proven guilty.

Other Kinibites

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan slammed Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for blaming BN for last month's high headline inflation, stating that base inflation remains stable.

Umno grassroots is upset the party is being blamed for a leaked photograph that purportedly showed two DAP leaders being romantically involved, one of whom is married.

Speaking against the deportation of controversial preacher Zakir Naik, Perkasa likened the latter's situation to Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah's detention under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.

The right wing group also raised concerns that China's mega investment in Malaysia may come at the expense of bumiputera business opportunities.

Police arrested six over an attempted murder of a priest in Penang.

Looking ahead

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is set to unveil a blueprint on how the government intends to uplift the Indian community.