Indonesia pins blame on M'sian firms and 10 things that happened yesterday

KINI ROUNDUP | Key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

1. Indonesia has blamed four plantation companies with Malaysian parents for forest fires which has resulted in haze throughout the region. Indonesia also claims that their plantations had been sealed.

2. Two Malaysian companies - IOI Corporation Bhd and Sime Darby Plantations Bhd - have clarified that their Indonesian plantations have not been sealed and that they are actively putting out forest fires.

3. Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok has defended the four companies and said they would not deliberately engage in forest burning because it would affect their certifications.

4. Read our concluding article in a four-part special series on the exploitation of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.

5. The special taskforce investigating the disappearance of activist Amri Che Mat has enlisted the assistance of telecommunication providers and are using credit card records to trace suspects. Read our exclusive report here.

6. Three Syiah Muslims claim they were assaulted by police personnel when they were arrested during a raid by the Johor Islamic authorities on Monday.

7. Islamic Affairs Minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the raids on Syiah Muslims recently were in performed in accordance to state law and should be respected.

8. The Kuala Lumpur High Court has consented to MACC's application to forfeit a total of RM369,662 from Umno's Maran MP Ismail Abdul Muttalib and company Naza Quest Auto. This does not assume admission of criminal or civil liabilities by either party.

9. A suit has been filed to invalidate the nomination of former minister Khairy Jamaluddin as a candidate for the election of the Malaysian Paralympic Council president.

10. Unity Minister P Waythamoorthy has dismissed a foreign newspaper's report claiming that the government was covering up the cause of death of 15 Bateq villagers from Kampung Kuala Koh, Gua Musang, in May.

11. Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan expects his party's alliance with PAS to result in the defeat of Pakatan Harapan in five states it currently controls - Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Perak and Johor.