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

Dr M foresees pre-GE crackdown

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad predicted that the government will crack down on the opposition ahead of the 14th general election.

He also claimed that Najib was in a strong enough position to suspend elections.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak pointed out the irony of Mahathir's prediction, stating that it was the latter who arrested and jailed opposition leaders when he was prime minister.

Umno information chief Annuar Musa claimed that the opposition may lose Mahathir due to the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the forex scandal, throwing Pakatan Harapan into a panic mode.

S'pore opts to shame banks in 1MDB scandal

Monetary Authority of Singapore, the country’s central bank, said it chose to name and shame banks as well as charge individuals over lapses in the 1MDB scandal as it was more effective than hefty fines.

Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla said the US Department of Justice (DOJ) civil forfeiture suits on 1MDB were no different than other court cases where claims are first laid out before evidence is presented in court.

Meanwhile, PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan said his party has its own way to deal with the 1MDB issue and will not follow those who have an "agenda".

Military radars slip pass customs

High-tech military radars in transit at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, which were held back for allegedly not having the necessary permits, reportedly went missing.

However, the Customs Department later said the equipment was not missing but had arrived at its intended destination in Netherlands. It added that an investigation was underway over the release of the consignment apparently without the required permits.

PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to probe the matter.

DAP's Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong warned that such incidences make Malaysia vulnerable to arms smuggling.

Other Kini bites

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's political secretary Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar dismissed a reported rift between his boss and party deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

Suspended Felda Global Ventures Holding Bhd (FGV) chief executive officer Zakaria Arshad had responded to the company's show-cause letter after two extensions.

Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said the movement has yet to decide on whether it will join the opposition's anti-kleptocracy rally slated for September.

Bloomberg reported that the Malaysian ringgit was the strongest Asian currency this quarter after hitting a low base.

The Foreign Ministry said Malaysia had offered to mediate in the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbours.

Looking ahead

MIC president S Subramaniam will be attending the ground-breaking ceremony of SJK (T) Bandar Mahkota Cheras.

Gerakan vice-president Dominic Lau is holding a press conference over the costing of studies in relation to three roads and an undersea tunnel in Penang.