Good morning. Here's what you need to know today.
Key Highlights
Najib's Parliament Time
GE15 guessing game
The CSR job
Najib's Parliament Time
Najib Abdul Razak is planning to spend more time outside prison, beyond his usual court dates.
His destination? Parliament.
Unfortunately, the Prisons Department won't allow him to, prompting him to consider legal action.
His lawyer argued that Najib - who is still Pekan MP due to legal provisions - could not serve his constituents from behind bars.
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GE15 guessing game
GE15 can be held ”anytime now” - or at least that's what Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told Umno division chiefs.
There is intense speculation that Ismail will go against popular expectations and get Parliament dissolved before Budget 2023 is tabled this Friday afternoon.
Many see the budget as an opportunity for BN to dangle carrots and act as an election manifesto of sorts.
Meanwhile, PN has instructed its cabinet members to object to the dissolution of Parliament.
However, a long-time minister said that prime ministers in the past have never consulted the cabinet on election dates.
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The CSR game
The MySejahtera app everyone was forced to use during the pandemic was at first offered to the government for free as a "CSR" project.
However, the Public Accounts Committee found that along the way, the company that developed the app somehow managed to turn their ‘charity’ work into an RM196 million government contract.
Even more surprisingly, the PAC report indicates that no one in the government knows exactly how the transition happened.
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Views that matter
 | By S Thayaparan |
 | By R Nadeswaran |
 | Lutfi Hakim Ariff |
Other news that matter
The anti-hopping law takes effect today. Two MPs who jumped to PBM on Saturday will likely be spared from the consequences if the law is not backdated.
The Dewan Rakyat has passed amendments that criminalise stalking and allows victims to get restraining orders.
The price of cooking palm oil will be lower, starting Saturday, with 5kg bottles costing RM2 less.
Political greenhorn Maszlee Malik reflects on becoming the top-voted PKR central committee member - just six months after joining the party - in an interview with Malaysiakini.
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