State rep's death paves way for by-election and 9 news you may have missed

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

1. Slim state assemblyperson and Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib (above) has died of a heart attack, paving the way for the 12th by-election since the 2018 general election.

2. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Mustapa Mohamed said the government will establish a Bumiputera Prosperity Council (BPC) which will become the highest platform in efforts to empower the socio-economic development of the bumiputera community.

3. Malaysiakini has launched Burmese, Nepalese and Bengali versions of its Covid-19 tracker in a bid to help curb the spread of the disease in these migrant communities.

4. Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun appeared to be in the dark when quizzed in Parliament on what the government has been doing to manage refugees in Kuala Lumpur, following a ban on renting housing units to undocumented migrants.

5. The High Court in Kuala Lumpur heard testimony that Jepak Holdings (Jepak) managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin had admitted to paying RM6.5 million to Rosmah Mansor for her help to secure a solar hybrid project in Sarawak.

6. Umno has dropped lawsuits against nine party defectors who have joined Bersatu, since the two parties are now allies in Perikatan Nasional.

7. A Universiti Malaya student has lodged a police report claiming sexual harassment by an associate professor at the university, while the media group Gerakan Media Merdeka condemned lewd comments targeting a female journalist on her livestreams.

8. Two people have been arrested for allegedly mocking the government’s announcement declaring Friday as Jawi Day.

9. Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said police officers and victims of crime cannot reveal the contents of police reports, as doing so will contravene the Official Secrets Act 1972.

10. Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong has revealed some details of proposed changes to the Road Transport Act 1987 related to drink driving, which includes mandatory jail sentences for exceeding the blood alcohol limit and up to 20 years’ jail for drunk drivers who cause death.