Good morning. Here’s what you should know today.
Key Highlights
Will KL have its Mamdani moment?
Anwar and Epstein’s associate
Bersatu pushes PAS into corner
Will KL have its Mamdani moment?
The International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) has been given a monumental task - study whether a mayoral election can be carried out in Kuala Lumpur.
Mayors in Malaysia are appointed, not elected. But unlike states where the government is publicly elected, KL’s administration is controlled by the federal government, even if KL voters are not on their side.
From 2008 to 2018 and 2020 to 2022, the majority of KL MPs were part of the federal opposition.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said that electing the mayor may also be more practical than electing local councillors at this juncture.
However, unsurprisingly, right-wing Malay politicians are rejecting the proposal outright, with Umno making strawman arguments aimed at fanning racial sentiments, while PAS leaders raised concerns about governance.
If a KL mayoral election is held, it will be the first public executive post in the country that is directly elected by the public.
Such an election may just give KLites, jaded by Pepsi vs Coke politics, a sense of hope and purpose for democracy, just like how Zohran Mamdani energised New Yorkers.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Anwar and Epstein’s associate
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s name cropped up in an email exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and an unknown associate back in 2012.
The associate - whose name was redacted by the US Department of Justice - had wanted to set up a meeting between Anwar and then JP Morgan top executive Jes Staley, who was a close friend of Epstein’s.
The associate claimed that if Anwar became prime minister at that time, it would be a “gold mine” for the US bank.
Anwar denied any connection with the people in the emails. However, the associate had claimed that he knew Anwar well and had even allegedly spoken with the PKR leader about his travel plans for 2012.
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Bersatu pushes PAS into corner
Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has secured support from Gerakan and Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) for his vision to have the PN leadership split between presidential and executive councils.
The decision was made at a meeting at Muhyiddin’s house, which PAS did not attend.
Leaked letters previously indicated that Muhyiddin intends for Bersatu to lead the presidential council and make all the decisions for PN, while PAS leads the executive committee to implement decisions.
PAS has not signalled that it would accept such a proposal, and this may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for the Islamist party.
HIGHLIGHTS
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