Covid-19 cases drop; dine-in allowed and other news you may have missed

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

Editor's Note: Malaysiakini's weekday newsletter will be replacing the Kini Roundup. Don’t miss out on the new Kini Morning Brief newsletter. Sign up here.

1. The Health Ministry reported 2,764 new Covid-19 cases - the lowest since Jan 11. Its director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the MCO 2.0 was working.

2. Malaysiakini looks at what caused a backlog in Covid-19 cases being reported, and what can be done to improve the situation.

3. The government will allow dine-in at restaurants starting today, as well as open up other retail sectors such as fashion and clothing.

4. Health Minister Dr Adham Baba defended his heavily criticised order offering to reduce the quarantine period for ministers to three days. He said not all ministers will qualify for the exemption, which may be extended to business travellers next in an effort to boost the economy.

5. The Prime Minister's Office threatened legal action against Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi for alleging the quarantine relaxation was because Muhyiddin Yassin and his entourage did not want to be quarantined after their recent trip to Indonesia.

6. Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi questioned whether a minister who held a gathering to hand out aid during the MCO should be fined.

7. Former chief justice Arifin Zakaria will lead a 19-member independent committee to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on when the proclamation of emergency should end.

8. Padang Rengas MP Nazri Abdul Aziz said the Perikatan Nasional government was punishing his constituents by slashing his parliamentary allocations.

9. Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim apologised to former national shuttler Lee Chong Wei after the latter was targeted by cyber troopers for supporting an initiative to help needy students.

10. Two police officers claimed trial to a charge of negligence over the rape of a 16-year-old girl who was under their custody at the Miri central police station in Sarawak last month. The suspected rapist - who was a fellow detainee - also retracted his guilty plea. The trio is represented by the same lawyers.

11. A frozen food company and two members of its management have claimed trial to 21 charges of using fake halal logos in connection with the meat cartel scandal.

12. Businessperson Jho Low had the authority to appoint the 1MDB CEO despite not being a part of the company, a former CEO of the national sovereign wealth fund testified in the High Court.

13. The taxman is targeting another two of Jho Low's alleged associates, Casey Tang Keng Chee and Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, for purported unpaid taxes.

14. Malaysiakini dives into the challenges that trans people must face when seeking medical attention.