Fire at IOI concession blamed on locals and 9 news you may have missed

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

1. An investigation has found that a fire at an IOI concession in Kalimantan during the 2019 haze season coincided with planting activities, but the company said it has a zero-burning policy and blamed it on negligence by those who visit a nearby river for hunting and fishing.

2. Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has submitted registration papers for his new party, Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda).

3. Former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman has finally hit the campaign trail in the Sabah state election alongside Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, but Musa remained coy on whether he is supporting Perikatan Nasional.

4. In the battle for Sabah, Warisan president Shafie Apdal would have to count on United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) to deliver the votes from the Kadazan Dusun Murut communities to help secure victory for Warisan.

5. Bersih has dropped plans to host a debate among the potential chief ministers of Sabah after only one person - United Sabah National Organisation’s de facto leader Pandikar Amin Mulia – agreed to take part.

6. The US Department of Justice is charging five Chinese nationals and two Malaysians wanted for a wide-ranging hacking effort that encompassed targets from videogames to pro-democracy activists. The Attorney-General’s Chambers has agreed to extradite the two Malaysians to the US.

7. Rosmah Mansor’s aide Rizal Mansor told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur that bloggers "Papagomo", "Parpukari" and "The Unspinners" were among 40 online activists who were paid to spruce up Rosmah’s image.

8. Former 1MDB chief executive Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman testified that his post was exposed to “political elements”, so his subordinates refused to take his job when he wanted to step down.

9. The contractor of the Klang Valley Double Tracking Phase 2 project is suing the government for trying to terminate the existing contract and retender it.

10. A company executive is expected to be charged today for sacking a whistleblower protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010.