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

Judge claims judiciary swindled public funds

Court of Appeal Judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer, in an affidavit filed today, claimed that certain members of the judiciary aided private parties to defraud the government.

Hamid said he is willing to reveal more if a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) is formed to look into the matter, but expressed regret that Chief Justice Richard Malanjum is not seeking an RCI.

 Hamid also claimed that top members of the judiciary and their associates were concerned about the prospect of Pakatan Harapan winning the last general election, but now, it's 'business as usual’.

Following Hamid's tell-all affidavit, lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla called on de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Kong to provide added protection to the Court of Appeal judge.

On another matter, Liew said that the government will make a decision on the tabling in Parliament of the proposal to abolish the death penalty before the Dewan Rakyat convenes next month.

Semenyih polls candidates unveiled

Pakatan Harapan today announced 30-year old Muhammad Aiman Zainali, who is the son-in-law of the deceased Semenyih incumbent assemblyperson Bakhtiar Mohd Nor, as the candidate for the constituency's by-election.

BN, meanwhile, picked former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) administrative officer Zakaria Hanafi, as the candidate for the March 2 polls.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said the Semenyih by-election will be a platform for the seven former Umno MPs, who recently joined Bersatu, to prove their loyalty and sincerity to their new party.

Umno acting president Mohamad Hasan questioned whether it was wrong to call for Malays to unite, after the Election Commission (EC) cautioned against raising racial and religious sentiments during election campaigns.

A survey by Selangor-based think-thank Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE) showed that support for Harapan in Semenyih has diminished, and that the coalition would only obtain 46 percent of the votes in the upcoming by-election.

Other Kinibites

A part of the Sungai Pulai Forest Reserve in Johor is being transformed into the 800ha Forest City Golf Course Resort, reported Malaysiakini.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari called all parties involved in the legal dispute over the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Seafield, Subang, to respect the court ruling yesterday that dismissed a suit by the temple's caretakers to stop the landowner from demolishing the temple.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has appointed five new members to the Election Commission, including Universiti Malaya law lecturer Azmi Sharom, UKM senior fellow Faisal S Hazis, and Bersih 2.0 resource person Zoe Randhawa.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's wife Dr Siti Hasmah Ali, commenting on the scourge of child marriage in an interview with The Malaysian Reserve, said that child rapists 'should be shot'.

Former premier Najib Abdul Razak said that during his time as PM, he has never heard of betting firms sponsoring police trips, in regard to Da Ma Cai funding a study trip to Turkey for the IGP, and other senior police officers.

Looking ahead

The inquest into the death of fireman Muhamad Adib Mohd Kassim continues.

Lawyers for Liberty will hold a press conference on the custodial death of detainee P Karuna Nithi.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will chair a National Cost of Living Action Council meeting in Putrajaya.