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

FBI claim 1MDB witnesses intimidated

The US' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said witnesses in the 1MDB scandal are afraid to cooperate and cited Malaysian news reports of incidences of intimidation allegedly linked to the case.

Former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz testified before the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the forex scandal that her predecessor Jaffar Hussein took accountability on the matter in an honourable manner.

Former Bank Negara advisor Nor Mohamed Yakcop, who also testified at the RCI, said he accepted his fair share of responsibility for the forex losses which happened in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Lawyer R Sivarasa said jailed PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was finance minister during the scandal, is expected to testify today.

Dr M wants end to PAS talks despite Anwar's letter

Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad wants an end to electoral negotiations with PAS despite a letter by Anwar asking otherwise.

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil denied PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution had resigned following the latter's insistence that seat negotiations must proceed without PAS despite Anwar's letter.

Mahathir expressed confidence that a local party can sweep half of the Parliament seats in Sabah, but did not name the party.

Elaborating on policy, Mahathir also said that the sales tax needed to be reintroduced if the Goods and Services Tax (GST) were to be abolished to make up for the expected fall in government revenue.

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli denied branding former Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan as being anti-Harapan, stating that he was only pointing out that she was not supportive of Harapan at its inception due to the absence of PAS.

PSM's Sungai Siput MP Jeyakumar Devaraj questioned Harapan's willingness to work with Bersatu, an Umno splinter party, but not his party, stating that PSM and Harapan were on a coalition course due to the latter's unwillingness to discuss seat distribution.

Malaysiakini challenges constitutionality of charge

Malaysiakini, through its subsidiary KiniTV, is challenging the constitutionality of Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act, which criminalises online news reports deemed to be offensive or injurious to the feelings of others.

Journalist groups Gerakan Media Merdeka and Institute of Journalists Malaysia condemned the reported attack on Tamil Malar, a Tamil daily, by MIC Youth members.

The daily's legal advisor K Saraswathy claimed the fracas at Tamil Malar's office erupted after Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan, who is also Federal Territories MIC chief, showed up at the party’s protest against one of the newspaper’s reports.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Saravanan should apologise and urged MIC president S Subramaniam and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to condemn the incident.

Other Kini bites

Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub, in an interview with Malaysiakini, said voters in the Umno stronghold of Johor are warming up to the opposition as they are now able to access areas which were previously impossible due to hostilities from Umno supporters in the local community.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor have sought to strike out an ‘injury and loss of income’ suit in excess of RM1 million filed by the family of the late private investigator P Balasubramaniam.

The price of RON95 and RON97 increased by four sen per litre while diesel is up by one sen per litre.

DRB-Hicom stressed that its priority, for now, is to formulate a business plan for Proton amid reports that a Chinese national will helm the carmaker.

DAP's Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming, in a critique of Bruce Gale's book in favour of Najib's economic policies, said the author failed to considered the long-term impact of the prime minister's policies.

Looking ahead

The Kuala Lumpur High Court will hear Najib's defamation suit against former minister Ling Liong Sik.

DAP's Petaling Jaya Tony Pua will be announcing a Selangor-wide road show on 1MDB.

PKR leaders will hold a press conference on Najib's planned visit to the US.

The RCI on the forex scandal continues and Anwar is expected to testify.