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Gov't denies bond to cover 1MDB debt; CJ, COA presidents face Bar boycott
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KINI ROUNDUP | Here are the key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

Gov't denies bond to cover 1MDB's missed payment

Finance Minister II Johari Abdul Ghani denied a RM2.5 billion bond the government is raising was meant to cover 1MDB's missed payment to Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC).

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua claimed 1MDB will likely require a bailout for its payment to IPIC.

Opposition lawmakers marched from Parliament to Bank Negara to submit a petition to the central bank's governor Muhammad Ibrahim on reopening the investigation into 10MDB.

Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar dismissed PKR deputy president Azmin Ali's legal letter demanding that police extradite Penang businessperson Jho Low and told him to take the matter to court instead.

Bar boycotts CJ and COA presidents

The Malaysian Bar approved a resolution to boycott Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif and Court of Appeal president Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin at social functions in protest of their extension which it believed is unconstitutional.

The Bar president George Verughese said the Bar Council will also challenge the extension and wants retired judges to preside the case to avoid conflict of interest.

Former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said Malaysia is facing a leadership deficit both in the public and private sector.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had believed he could convince his boss Najib Abdul Razak to resign as prime minister.

Umno information chief Annuar Musa accused Mahathir of lying for political gains.

MACC addresses 'ikan bilis'

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Dzulkifli Ahmad expressed puzzlement over accusations that the commission only went after 'ikan bilis' (low-ranking officers), pointing out that it had arrested those with "Tan Sri", "Datuk Seri" and "Datuk" titles.

Dzulkifli also said that the MACC will seek clarification with the French embassy over political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda's status in the Scorpene graft case.

French human rights lawyer William Bourdon, who is acting for Suaram as a complainant in the Scorpene case, confirms Abdul Razak had been indicted.

Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah defended the finance minister's selection of a contractor which failed to complete the RM88 million Bera Hospital, claiming that the company was "qualified" despite the Public Works Department repeatedly warning otherwise.

He added that even if the prime minister insisted on direct negotiations, the Finance Ministry's procurement committee must still review the matter.

Other Kini bites

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah sought to strike out an application to reveal their financial statements in relation to the prime minister's alleged payment of RM9.5 million to Shafee.

PKR vice president Rafizi Ramli announced he had collected RM1.5 million within 10 days following an appeal for donations after he was ordered to pay RM300,000 in damages to National Feedlot Corporation.

The government failed to obtain a stay on the Court of Appeal's decision which ruled that the National Registration Department need not comply with religious edicts in the naming of children born out-of-wedlock.

The Public Accounts Committee blamed the delays for the Shah Alam hospital on an inexperienced contractor who received the contract through direct negotiation.

DAP's Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng was ejected from the Dewan Rakyat after repeatedly trying to raise 1MDB's mispayment to IPIC. (ejected)

Looking ahead

The Kuala Lumpur High Court will hear Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakobs's defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia, which is owned by his party Umno.

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