Good morning. Here's our news and views that matter for today.
The Kini Morning Brief team is taking a break for Hari Raya and will be back on April 4. We wish all our Muslim readers Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.
Key Highlights
Sabah reps back in the hot seat
March 27 - ‘Indians won’t forget’
Local voting could reshape electoral map
Sabah reps back in the hot seat
The MACC is firing up the grill once again for Sabah assemblypersons caught in a swirling corruption scandal.
Chief commissioner Azam Baki confirmed the fresh rounds of questioning after a whistleblower came forward with evidence to back his claims.
“I don’t have all the details yet, but I’ve instructed my officers to summon everyone involved and get their statements,” he told Malaysiakini.
Back on March 13, the whistleblower’s lawyer, Mahajoth Singh, revealed that his client had turned over a mountain of evidence - resulting in a hefty 50-page statement to the commission.
Aside from the full recordings of the nine explosive videos that have been making waves on Malaysiakini since last November, the whistleblower also purportedly handed over a stash of WhatsApp messages.
The businessperson at the heart of the scandal claims he greased the palms of assemblypersons in exchange for mineral exploration licences. Now, with new evidence in play, the heat is definitely on.
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March 27 - ‘Indians won’t forget’
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has praised the planned construction of the Madani Mosque on Jalan Masjid India as a “victory”, but Urimai chairperson P Ramasamy cautioned that it comes at a significant cost.
Ramasamy noted that Indians had placed "great hope" in Anwar and emphasised that the community would not forget March 27, 2025 - the day the prime minister officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for the mosque.
In his speech at the ceremony, Anwar stressed that the victory stemmed not from arrogance but wisdom.
“This victory is because we were able to demonstrate the wisdom, strength, and nobility of Islam - not arrogance,” he said.
He was referring to the relocation of a 130-year-old Hindu temple at the site, which his government has hailed as a “win-win” solution for both parties.
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Local voting could reshape electoral map
If voters cast their ballots in the locality where they actually live, it could trigger massive shifts across Peninsular Malaysia’s constituencies, according to electoral reform group Tindak Malaysia.
In a LinkedIn post, its director, Danesh Prakash Chacko, highlighted key changes: fewer Chinese-majority areas, a slight increase in Malay-majority seats, and the emergence of more mixed constituencies - including the first-ever Orang Asli-majority seat in Jelai.
But this shift could also create imbalances. “Inner-city constituencies could lose significant numbers of voters,” Danesh warned.
For instance, Kota Lama in Kota Bharu might see its voter base slashed by half, while fast-growing residential areas in Selangor could see voter counts skyrocket - some by over 100,000.
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Views that matter
 | By R Nadeswaran |
 | By Tajuddin Rosli |
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