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

Zahid doubles down on Mahathir blitz

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi continued his blitz against Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday, saying the latter had miscalculated his loyalty to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Zahid also dredged up the ghost of the Memali incident, saying Mahathir had lied about not being in the country.

He also said he was ready to be probed over allegations that he had RM230 million in his bank accounts in 1996, but urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Corruption to investigate the former premier too.

An Umno assemblyperson, however, warned that playing 'strip poker' with Mahathir is a bad idea, as the former premier has a lot of chips to play with.

Meanwhile the police said they may call in the former premier over his claims that Zahid had conspired with him against Najib.

CJ says appointment constitutional

Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif has conceded that his reappointment is “unprecedented” but said that it is still constitutional.

He also appeared to be unperturbed by the Malaysian Bar’s move to exclude him from their social functions.

Meanwhile the government has agreed to establish a special committee to empower Syariah Court and Syariah law as a whole.

A London court in a pre-trial case management hearing has ordered Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown to pay at least GB£15,000 up front in costs to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, after a failed bid to make him pay a hefty deposit before suing her.

Hadi's political secretary Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar hailed the decision of the court that it "cannot accept that another sovereign state that has good ties and relationship with the UK is corrupt".

Other Kinibites

DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has called on activists to work with Pakatan Harapan on their reform agenda, and not worry about Mahathir becoming prime minister again.

A forum organised by Islamic Renaissance Front claimed that Malaysia does not fulfil any conditions of a civil state as defined from a Western perspective.

A man has lodged a police report against an MCA division leader who allegedly claimed he could help secure Malaysian citizenship and a blue identity card for his Chinese national friend.

Umno information chief Annuar Musa said he does not plan to be re-appointed as Mara chairperson.

Looking ahead

Umno president Najib will be officiating the Shah Alam Umno division annual general meeting this evening, while his deputy Zahid addresses Umno delegates in Temerloh and Raub.