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

Dr M gov’t also paid lobbyists

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is not the only Malaysian prime minister who engaged lobbyists. The Malaysian government paid a US lobbyist to set up a meeting between then-PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad and then-US president George W Bush.

Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli said the government should take action against US lobbyist Healy Baumgardner-Nardone for declaring to the US government she received US$250,000 for services to Najib which the Prime Minister’s Office denied.

Geely is Proton’s medicine, says finance minister II

Proton is a “sick child” that needs medicine, said Finance Minister II Johari Abdul Ghani on the sale of a 49.9 percent stake in Proton Holdings Bhd to China firm Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd, in reference to Dr Mahathir who lamented the loss of his brainchild to Geely.

Also responding to Mahathir’s comment, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin dredges up old news reports where Mahathir, who was Proton chairperson, proposed a Geely tie-up, and encouraged Volkswagen to buy the Malaysian car-making firm.

Other Kinibites

Terengganu is not prepared to implement hudud law before an in-depth study on it is conducted, said Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.

Umno supreme council member Nazri Abdul Aziz says Mahathir has failed to respond to his challenge to reveal his election expenses when he was in power, and tried to divert the issue by claiming he returned the gifts he received.

Looking ahead

Politicians attend charitable events in keeping with the spirit of Ramadan, which enters its second day today.