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

MP fined for smoking in Parliament

The Ministry of Health has cracked down on smoking in the Parliament building, slapping fines on eight people, including an MP who was not named.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said cigarette prices are set to go up next month, while the minimum age to purchase alcohol will be raised from 18 to 21 years.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Abdullah Nasution said his ministry is gearing up to combat the anticipated increase in cigarette smuggling that would follow the price hike.

DAP reprimands its reps on state titles

DAP has reprimanded several of its party’s elected representatives for receiving state titles and awards, saying that its members should only accept such awards after retiring from active politics.

DAP assistant national treasurer Ngeh Koo Ham, who was awarded a ‘Datuk’ title in 2008, said DAP members who are offered such an award under special circumstances should refer to the party leadership for a decision, as he had done before.

However, former Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Mohd Razlan Rafii claimed that DAP’s response to its members receiving state honours was “proof” of the party’s supposed anti-royal stance.

Other Kinibites

Sources at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission told Malaysiakini that former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak would be facing more 1MDB-related charges soon.

Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said the government plans to ban plastic waste that cannot be fully recycled, and reiterated that Malaysia will not be a “trash can” for developed countries.

The Malaysian Bar said the government should not replace death sentences with a blanket life imprisonment when the death penalty is repealed, but consider the length of each replacement sentence on a case-by-case basis.

Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian said one of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s pet projects - a “crooked bridge” to connect Johor with Singapore - is back on the cards.

Looking ahead

The Conference of Rulers will be holding its 250th meeting at Istana Negara.

A group of taxi drivers will hold a protest, against the finance minister’s special officer Tony Pua, outside the ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya.

Activists led by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) will be leading a separate protest outside Parliament building to object the minimum wage hike, which they consider to be too little.