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

Dr M's message for Rafizi

Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli to stay strong following his 30-month jail sentence.

Rafizi, who has a stay on the sentence, said he intended to press on with his struggle.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin accused "Umno thugs" of disrupting Harapan's event in Johor Bharu.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang denied holding a grudge against the DAP for refusing to endorse him or Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as Pakatan Rakyat's prime ministerial candidate during GE13.

Selangor Harapan came no closer to solving the electoral seat distribution in the state, with 15 to 20 seats still in dispute after three rounds of negotiations.

Father of girl who committed suicide speaks up

R Muniandy, father of the girl who committed suicide after being accused of stealing a teacher's mobile phone, pleaded to all quarters not to soil his daughter's reputation.

He also dismissed claims that his daughter had a history of self-harm.

A soldier has been charged with the murder of his nine-year-old daughter.

Bukit Gantang Umno chief Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abd Fasal has apologised for a Chinese New Year banner that greeted "Happy Birthday" in Chinese phonetics.

Minister denies GE link in EPF dividend

Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak denied that the high Employees Provident Fund dividend for 2017 is because of the looming general election.

The EPF, which is setting its sights on investing in Latin America, said its domestic investments are unlikely to be affected by the general election.

The Inland Revenue Board is recruiting local celebrities in an effort to create awareness about paying taxes.

Other Kinibites

Political cartoonist Zunar was granted leave by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur to challenge the government's ban on his book titled "Sapuman".

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's bid to strike out Malaysiakini's defence in his defamation suit was postponed pending the decision on another case before the Federal Court.

Universiti Malaya failed in its final appeal to the Federal Court to reinstate its punishment against five students for organsing a talk about the opposition.

Tabung Haji is set to sell its land in Negeri Sembilan to Ajinomoto Malaysia Bhd.

Former minister Zaid Ibrahim said the prime minister and Kelantan menteri besar should explain why Mahathir's royal title was stripped by the Kelantan palace.

Looking ahead

Harapan Selangor will file its objections at the Selangor Election Commission's (EC) office over the second redelineation proposal.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will attend the closing of the World Urban Forum in Kuala Lumpur.