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Key Highlights
Legal storm hits PM, Dr M unfurls ‘big umbrella’
Daim’s dynasty under fire, his widow fires back
Rafizi in green, trading blows with Anwar?
Legal storm hits PM, Dr M unfurls ‘big umbrella’
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has denied Anwar Ibrahim’s bid to suspend his ex-aide Yusoff Rawther’s civil suit in relation to a sexual assault allegation.
Ordering that the trial proceeds on June 16 as scheduled, the court further ruled that the eight constitutional questions the prime minister sought to refer to the Federal Court did not meet the required threshold.
Anwar has insisted that his bid to suspend the lawsuit was never about seeking personal immunity from litigation but “concerns the integrity of our constitutional system and the need to ensure that high public office is protected from litigation that may be strategically timed, politically motivated, or institutionally disruptive”.
Adding to the prime minister’s list of political headaches, his age-defying nemesis, Dr Mahathir Mohamad - now well into his wizard years - has unveiled another grand scheme to unseat his former apprentice and “save the Malays”.
The politician, who is just a month away from blowing out 100 birthday candles, unveiled a new Malay secretariat committee - pitched as a “big umbrella” for the community.
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Daim’s dynasty under fire, his widow fires back
The MACC has secured approval to seize Daim Zainuddin’s Ilham Tower once again, much to the frustration of the late former finance minister’s lawyers, who have accused the commission of “playing musical chairs with the law”.
This development follows closely after the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted permission for the commission to seize seven properties belonging to Daim’s family.
Among the assets seized through an ex parte application are three luxury homes in London and a bank account reportedly valued at RM758.2 million.
Daim’s widow Na’imah Abdul Khalid has vowed to challenge the seizure and “to not bow down to bullies”.
“A line has been crossed. If we do not resist, there may soon be no lines left at all, then no Malaysian will be safe from the reach of unchecked power,” she emphasised.
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Rafizi in green, trading blows with Anwar?
Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has expressed a desire to see former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli go head-to-head with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in the next general election.
He has urged PAS to make every effort to court Rafizi - who recently resigned as economy minister - and nominate him to contest the prime minister’s parliamentary seat in Tambun, Perak.
The ex-law minister also encouraged the Islamist party to approach former PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, suggesting that he contest in Bentong, which is DAP MP Young Syefura Othman’s seat.
Both Rafizi and Nik Nazmi resigned as ministers after failing to defend their respective party positions in the PKR polls.
Previously, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan clarified that while the party has no plans to recruit the two leaders into Perikatan Nasional, it would not oppose their cooperation with the opposition bloc in Parliament.
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Views that matter
 | By Andrew Sia |
 | By Mah Hang Soon |
 | By Hanipa Maidin |
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