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Loke: My visit to Cameron Highlands was on official duties, not the by-election

Jan 08, 2019

Transport Minister, Anthony Loke has dismissed claims that Pakatan Harapan Ministers are abusing government resources, by visiting Cameron Highlands ahead of the by-election.

"Yes, I went to Cameron Highlands yesterday, but in my official capacity as the Minister of Transport. The trip has got nothing to do with the by-election. It just so happens, that there's a by-election. This trip had been planned for some time. It cannot be because of the by-election that we stop all our activities or we stop all our work. People are expecting us to solve their problems."

He was responding to criticism by electoral watchdog Bersih against him, as well as PH reps, over the increased visits to the constituency ahead of the by-election.

Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional will reportedly announce its candidate for the by-election on Thursday.

The candidate will go up against DAP's M. Manogaran.

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Cops looking for four linked to Jong-nam murder

Police are still looking for four witnesses over the 2017 murder of Kim Jong-nam.

Selangor police say based on their checks, all of them are still in the country.

Two women, from Indonesia and Vietnam, are currently on trial over the murder of Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 

They're accused of smearing a nerve agent on his face.

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Govt to probe if China offered to bail out 1MDB

The Finance Minister says the government will verify a new report, which claimed that senior Chinese leaders had offered to help bail out 1MDB in 2016.

The expose, by the Wall Street Journal, said Beijing had offered to use its influence to have the US and other countries' investigations into 1MDB dropped. 

This, in return for Malaysia offering stakes in railway and pipeline projects as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

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Anti-smoking laws could go further

The government is looking to expand on its anti-smoking laws

The Health Ministry says it will look into new rules against lighting up in both public and private universities. 

This, after its blanket ban on smoking at all public eateries came into effect this year.