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Key Highlights
Anwar and the addendum
CMA bulldozed but not MCMC bill
Pollution poisons Orang Asli
Anwar and the addendum
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim refused to comment on the purported royal addendum issued by the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong granting house arrest to Najib Abdul Razak.
He said it would be sub judice to do so, and that he would only comment once the matter is resolved in court next month.
However, he confirmed that the addendum was not part of the agenda when he met the previous King to bring Najib's pardon bid to the latter's attention.
Anwar has also proposed for the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong to deliberate on the matter with the Pardons Board.
Meanwhile, the Pahang palace said it too would not issue a statement on the addendum pending the court case.
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CMA bulldozed but not MCMC bill
A bill to amend the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) was passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday despite objections from civil society groups.
Concerns ranged from the amendments doing more harm to children than it protects, being a backdoor to introduce controversial fake news laws, and lacking refinement on what constitutes grossly offensive remarks, among others.
Two government MPs had pushed for the bill to be refined by a Parliament Special Select Committee but ultimately toed the line and voted for the bill.
Despite bulldozing the CMA bill, the amendment to the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act - which empowers to governing body to enforce the CMA - was postponed pending scrutiny by a select committee.
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Pollution poisons Orang Asli
Blood tests on Orang Asli villagers in Gua Musang, Kelantan reveal higher than normal levels of chromium, Kini News Lab found.
One such villager who was tested is 64,000 times more likely to develop cancer in his lifetime the study found.
The cause of the heavy metal poisoning is believed to be linked to iron ore mining that has allegedly turned the Orang Asli's water sources red.
One of the mining companies involved denied causing the pollution.
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