Isnin, 28 Oktober 2013

R Sivarasa - Ahli Parlimen Subang

R Sivarasa - Ahli Parlimen Subang


Posted: 27 Oct 2013 11:43 PM PDT

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 11:41 PM PDT

Bajet PR 2014

Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:34 PM PDT

Ahad, 27 Oktober 2013

Suara Sri Andalas

Suara Sri Andalas


Perutusan Sambutan Deepavali 2013 Oleh YB Dr Xavier Jayakumar

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 07:45 PM PDT

Saya serta bagi pihak kakitangan Pusat Khidmat ADUN Seri Andalas serta keluarga mengucapkan Selamat Menyambut Deepavali kepada masyarakat yang beragama Hindu yang akan meraikan sambutan ini.

Seperti yang kita sedia maklum Deepavali adalah merupakan perayaan meraikan kemenangan kebaikan mengatasi kejahatan yang membawa sinar harapan untuk masa depan yang lebih baik. Marilah kita meraikan perayaan ini dengan penuh kesyukuran serta harapan untuk terus melakukan kebaikan serta menuju kecemerlangan.
 
Raikanlah bersama keluarga tersayang dan sahabat handai. Teruskan amalan kunjung-mengunjungi dan pandulah secara berhemah ketika membuat perjalanan.
 
Sambutan Deepavali Peringkat Negeri Selangor akan diadakan di Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang pada 31 Oktober 2013 (Khamis) bermula jam 5 petang dan Majlis Rumah Terbuka Deepavali DUN Seri Andalas pula akan diadakan pada 9 November 2013 (Sabtu) bermula jam 7 malam di Jalan Nagasari, Desa Latania, Batu 3 1/2 Kampung Jawa. Datanglah beramai-ramai untuk meraikannya bersama-sama.

Sekali lagi saya dan para kakitangan Pusat Khidmat ADUN Seri Andalas serta keluarga mengucapkan Selamat Menyambut Deepavali.

YB Dr Xavier Jayakumar
ADUN Seri Andalas  

Tiga Puluh Wanita Terima Sumbangan Dalam Program PEKAWANIS DUN Seri Andalas

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 07:15 PM PDT

Seramai tiga puluh wanita yang kebanyakannya terdiri daripada ibu-ibu tunggal dengan anak-anak yang masih kecil telah menerima sumbangan RM100 serta goody bag daripada PEKAWANIS di Pejabat Khidmat Masyarakat ADUN Seri Andalas pada 26 Oktober 2013 yang lalu.

YB Dr Xavier Jayakumar telah menyampaikan goody bag dan memberi kata-kata nasihat kepada para penerima sumbangan. Dalam program ringkas tersebut ada penerima yang membangkitkan masalah-masalah kesihatan yang dihidapi dan YB Dr Xavier telah maklum dengan perkara tersebut.

PEKAWANIS adalah persatuan bagi isteri-isteri ADUN dan ahli Parlimen serta ADUN dan Ahli Parlimen wanita yang berminat menyertainya. Matlamat utama PEKAWANIS adalah kebajikan dan persatuan ini juga menguruskan rumah kebajikan di Shah Alam untuk perempuan-perempuan muda yang menghadapi masalah. PEKAWANIS juga menguruskan pusat dialisis di Klang.

Untuk setiap kali perayaan, sebanyak RM3,000 diagihkan kepada wanita / keluarga miskin di kawasan mereka.



Merasmikan Forum Pemilik Haiwan Yang Bertanggungjawab Sempena Hari Haiwan Sedunia 2013

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 07:00 PM PDT

Pada 26 Oktober 2013, YB Dr Xavier Jayakumar telah hadir merasmikan Forum Pemilik Haiwan Yang Bertanggungjawab Sempena Hari Haiwan Sedunia 2013 yang telah diadakan di Dewan Ilmu Perpustakaan Komuniti Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya yang bermula jam 9 pagi.

Hadir dalam forum tersebut adalah Puan Dr Chitradavi, Pengarah Jabatan Kesihatan Persekitaran MBPJ, Puan Dr Hajah Hayati Abdullah, Pengarah Jabatan Kesihatan dan Alam Sekitar DBKL serta Ahli-ahli Majlis MBPJ.

Ini adalah tahun keempat sejak tahun 2009 sambutan Hari Haiwan Sedunia telah diadakan di MBPJ. Tema pada tahun ini adalah "Responsible Pet Ownership" bertujuan mewujudkan tahap kesedaran kepada pemilik haiwan dan rasa tanggungjawab terhadap haiwan yang dipelihara. 

Dalam majlis yang diadakan, sijil telah diberikan kepada para pemilik haiwan yang bertanggungjawab kemudian diikuti dengan pembentangan kertas kerja dan sesi soal jawab bersama ahli-ahli panel.

Atas sikap prihatin dan tanggungjawab, MBPJ telah menubuhkan Canine Advisory Team (CAT) di negeri Selangor dan juga merupakan PBT pertama di Malaysia yang mengadakan sambutan Hari Haiwan Sedunia pada setiap tahun.

MBPJ turut menguatkuasakan undang-undang kecil perlesenan anjing dan rumah pembiakan anjing bagi memastikan pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab  tidak melakukan perbuatan kejam terhadap binatang ini. Penalti sebanyak RM2,000 akan dikenakan atau penjara tidak melebihi 1 tahun atau kedua-duanya sekali sekiranya terdapat mana-mana pihak yang melanggar undang-undang kecil ini.




Kerajaan Umno-BN Boros, Rakyat Tanggung GST dan Pengurangan Subsidi

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 02:45 AM PDT

SHAH ALAM,27 OKT : Pengurangan subsidi dan mengenakan Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (GST) bukan penyelesai kepada masalah ekonomi negara yang berpunca daripada sikap boros kerajaan Umno-BN berbelanja.

Ketua Penerangan PAS, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, berkata perlaksanaan GST hanya boleh dilakukan apabila kerajaan Umno-BN mula bertanggungjawab untuk mengurangkan pengurusan operasinya dan bukannya ianya terus berboros dengan duit rakyat.

Katanya, rakyat tidak diberikan tempoh untuk menyesuaikan diri dengan GST apabila ia diumumkan pada kadar yang sebegitu tinggi pada 6 peratus bermula 1 April 2015.

"Dengan GST, mereka yang tidak mempunyai kereta dan tidak mempunyai pekerjaan tetap sehingga tidak layak membayar cukai pun dikenakan cukai atas setiap pembelian," katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Tuan Ibrahim berkata, di Singapura, kadar GST diperkenalkan pada kadar 3 peratus sebelum beransur menjadi 7 peratus.

"Ada yang berkata masyarakat kampung tidak akan merasai beban daripada GST. Ingin diingatkan bahawa kebanyakan barangan yang dijual di kedai-kedai runcit di kampung datangnya juga daripada para pembekal di bandar.

"Barangan itu sudahpun dikenakan GST ketika tiba di kedai runcit. Walaupun kedai runcit yang kecil itu dikecualikan daripada GST kerana tidak melepasi had minima perolehan tertentu, barangan yang dijual kepada masyarakat kampung sudah tentunya pada harga yang lebih tinggi kerana sudah dikenakan GST oleh pembekal," katanya.

Ahli Parlimen Petaling Jaya Utara, Tony Pua berkata, tindakan kerajaan mengenakan GST tidak mampu menyembunyikan kegagalan mereka mengawal perbelanjaan berlebihan dengan defisit terus kekal.

Lebihan dalam kutipan cukai yang dinyatakan dalam Laporan Ekonomi 2013/14 sepatutnya membantu mengurangkan defisit kronik itu kepada 2.6 peratus tetapi sebaliknya kekal tidak berubah pada unjuran empat peratus.

"Walaupun kerajaan mengumpul jauh lebih tinggi daripada hasil yang dijangkakan, defisit untuk 2013 kekal pada RM39.3 bilion.

"Ini bermakna hampir setiap sen pendapatan tambahan yang dikutip kerajaan terus segera dibelanjakan, bukannya menyumbang ke arah mengurangkan hutang," katanya.

Sumber: SelangorKu

Laksana GST, Makin Banyak Rakyat Kena Tanggung

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 02:00 AM PDT

SHAH ALAM, 27 OKT : Pelaksanaan GST hanya akan meningkatkan harga barangan dan beban cukai yang perlu ditanggung pengguna walaupun selepas pemansuhan Cukai Jualan dan Cukai Perkhidmatan (SST).

Ahli Parlimen Serdang, Dr Ong Kian Ming berkata, Kerajaan Umno-BN mengelirukan rakyat dengan memberi gambaran bahawa kebanyakan harga barangan dan cukai yang dibayar oleh pengguna akan dikurangkan selepas pengenalan GST.

"Yang benar adalah bahawa perkara yang dikenakan cukai di bawah SST adalah jauh kurang daripada apa yang dikenakan cukai di bawah GST," kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan.

Kian Ming berkata, antara perkara yang didakwa tidak di bawah cukai jualan tetapi akan di bawah GST termasuk banyak barangan bukan mewah seperti susu, kopi, teh, air mineral , buah-buahan dalam tin , surat khabar , alat tulis, beg sekolah, dan kotak .

Katanya, penggunaan elektrik di atas 200kWh (mana-mana amaun yang melebihi RM50) juga akan dikenakan GST. Harga barang-barang ini pasti akan meningkat selepas GST kerana penghapusan SST mempunyai kesan ke atas harga.

Pada masa ini cukai jualan adalah terhad kepada restoran-restoran tertentu dan perkhidmatan profesional yang diberikan oleh akauntan , arkitek, perkhidmatan kenderaan motor dan pusat-pusat pembaikan, perkhidmatan telekomunikasi , perkhidmatan keselamatan , ejen hartanah, operator perkhidmatan letak kereta ruang dan firma perkhidmatan .

"Liputan yang lebih luas di bawah GST bermakna lebih perkhidmatan akan dikenakan GST berbanding dengan cukai perkhidmatan semasa. Ini bermakna bahawa lebih banyak perkhidmatan hargaya akan meningkat.

"Yang benar adalah bahawa GST akan menaikkan harga majoriti barangan dan perkhidmatan walaupun selepas penyingkiran GST dengan beban kewangan rakyat akan meningkat," katanya.

Sumber: SelangorKu

Bajet 2014 : Belanjawan Orang Kaya, Yang Miskin Papa Kedana

Posted: 26 Oct 2013 02:15 AM PDT

Pelaksanaan Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (GST) seperti yang diumumkan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dalam ucapan belanjawannya di Parlimen adalah satu tamparan hebat kepada golongan miskin dan berpendapatan rendah.

Malah, bermula pada kadar 6%, adalah sangat melampau. Perbandingan pelaksanaan GST yang dilaksanakan di Singapura pada kadar 7% sekarang ini juga adalah cubaan mengelirukan rakyat kerana ia mula diperkenalkan pada tahun 1994 dengan kadar hanya 3%, sejak 13 tahun yang lalu.

Dalam apa keadaan pun, membuat perbandingan dengan negara seperti Singapura dan negara-negara Eropah adalah sia – sia disebabkan tahap urus tadbir yang baik jauh lebih tinggi di negara – negara tersebut.

Bagi rakyat Malaysia, kos sara hidup sudah cukup membebankan tanpa GST. Dengan adanya cukai ini, beban yang lebih berat akan menimpa golongan miskin memandangkan mereka hampir tidak ada pilihan lain selain membelanjakan juga sebahagian besar daripada pendapatan boleh guna (disposable income) yang ada.

Hujah Najib bahawa GST akan menyebabkan kos barangan dan perkhidmatan semakin berkurang adalah bohong dan sekali lagi cuba mengelirukan rakyat.

Majoriti rakyat tidak akan dapat memanfaatkan GST dengan penjimatan ataupun pelaburan seperti golongan kaya dan berpendapatan tinggi. Ini akan mewujudkan jurang yang lebih nyata dan menyebabkan ketidakadilan sosial yang lebih berpanjangan.

Jika belanjawan tahun lalu adalah belanjawan rakyat disebabkan pilihanraya bulan Mei lalu, maka yang ini merupakan belanjawan orang kaya kerana kerajaan UMNO dan Barisan Nasional merasakan ia sudah tidak lagi terhutang budi kepada rakyat.

Mereka lewatkan GST kerana mereka tahu rakyat akan membantah dan kini selepas pilihan raya mereka melaksanakannya. Maka Belanjawan 2014 ini hanya akan melebarkan kesenjangan ekonomi rakyat. Jurang kaya – miskin, gini – coefficient rakyat akan terus meluas.

Selain itu, saya meramalkan tekanan inflasi yang bakal menimbun serta kos sara hidup yang kian meningkat.

Dorongan untuk memacu sektor pelancongan, dengan membina lebih banyak hotel bertaraf lima bintang dan bersaing dengan dunia untuk memiliki bandar terhebat tidak memberi kelebihan dan kemakmuran kepada rakyat.

Di mana usaha Kerajaan untuk merendahkan kos pengangkutan atau memperbaiki pengangkutan awam ? Tidak ada disebut tentang perumahan mampu milik. Malah program kesihatan rakyat terus diabaikan.

Meskipun peruntukan yang diumumkan amat substansial, namun yang masih menjadi permasalahan adalah pengagihan dan penggunaan dana tersebut. Perbelanjaan negara tahun lalu tentang latihan Bahasa Inggeris sahaja sudah cukup menjadi contoh bagaimana pembaziran berlaku.

Dana keusahawanan melalui pinjaman mudah bagi mengurangkan pengangguran di kalangan graduan hanya akan menjurus kepada nilai hutang yang semakin memuncak.

Apa yang diperlukan oleh graduan – graduan ini adalah kemahiran 'soft skill' dan lebih banyak latihan kemahiran dan teknikal untuk meningkatkan kebolehan mereka diambil bekerja, bukan hutang yang lebih banyak.

Cadangan untuk memberi dana kepada pelajar lepasan SPM untuk latihan kemahiran adalah baik dari segi prinsip, akan tetapi yang lebih signifikan adalah soal pelaksanaan serta pengkhususan di lapangan.

Kita semua setuju bahawa defisit belanjawan mesti dikurangkan, tetapi memeras lebih banyak wang daripada rakyat bukanlah caranya.

Masalah asas adalah soal ketirisan, pembaziran dan rasuah. Dengan menangani masalah ini secara tidak komprehensif, kita tidak akan mampu untuk menyelesaikan masalah yang tidak akan berkesudahan. Masalah ini tidak mampu diselesaikan dengan hanya mengutip cukai sebanyaknya.

MOHAMED AZMIN ALI
Timbalan Presiden PKR


Sumber: SelangorKU

RM20 Juta Perbaiki Asrama Unisel, Siap Jun 2014

Posted: 26 Oct 2013 02:00 AM PDT

BESTARI JAYA 26 OKT : Kerajaan Negeri memperuntukkan RM20 juta bagi tujuan penambahbaikan asrama Universiti Selangor (Unisel) dan dijangka siap selewat-lewatnya pada bulan Jun tahun hadapan.

Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berkata, Kerajaan Negeri komited membaikpulih bangunan asrama yang tidak boleh digunakan lagi itu bagi tujuan kemudahan infrastruktur pelajar institusi pengajian tinggi berkenaan.

"Blok bangunan itu sudah tidak boleh pakai dan kita akan adakan program penambahbaikan 'Repairs and Maintenance' dan peruntukan diberikan kepada pihak universiti untuk bergerak pada pembaikan," katanya.

Abdul Khalid berkata demikian dalam sidang media selepas Istiadat Konvokesyen Unisel Ke Lapan di Dewan Canselor, Kampus Bestari Jaya di sini.

Turut hadir, Exco Pendidikan, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Modal Insan, Dr Halimah Ali serta Naib Canselor Unisel, Prof Dr Anuar Ahmad.

Seramai 2,003 graduan bakal memperolehi ijazah masing-masing termasuk tujuh orang menerima ijazah kedoktoran falsafah dan profesional.

Manakala 34 orang menerima ijazah sarjana dan 1,024 orang menerima ijazah sarjana muda dan 937 orang menerima diploma.

Sementara itu, Abdul Khalid di dalam ucapannya berkata masyarakat diharap tidak beranggapan bahawa graduan Unisel sebagai 'graduan pasang siap' iaitu kemampuannya terbatas.

"Saya mahu dan bahkan seluruh rakyat Selangor mahu, bahawa Unisel ini sebenarnya sentiasa mengeluarkan graduan yang mempunyai pelbagai kemahiran berfikir, budiman, pencinta ilmu dan berperibadi mulia.

"Kesepaduan jasmani, emosi, rohani dan intelek adalah kriteria penting untuk menjadi graduan cemerlang," ujarnya.

Abdul Khalid berkata, Unisel sehingga kini mampu mengekalkan status sebagai antara graduan yang tertinggi memperolehi pekerjaan dalam tempoh enam bulan selepas menamatkan pengajian.

"Hal ini dilaporkan dalam media massa dan Kementerian Pendidikan 2012, saya percaya para graduan sedia maklum mengenai pencapaian dan kejayaan universiti ini serta pelbagai pengiktirafan yang diterima, sama ada dalam mahupun luar negara," katanya lagi.

Sumber: SelangorKu

Tujuh Projek Baru Selangor Bernilai RM38.22 Bilion

Posted: 25 Oct 2013 02:15 AM PDT

SHAH ALAM 25 OKT : Ekonomi Selangor dijangka terus berkembang melalui tujuh projek pembangunan membabitkan tanah seluas 3,771.81 hektar dengan nilai perbangunan kasar dianggarkan berjumlah RM38.22 bilion.

Tujuh projek pembangunan itu sudah diluluskan Majlis Perancangan Fizikal Negara membabitkan tanah milik kerajaan dan swasta yang dipengerusikan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dalam satu mesyuarat, pada 17 Oktober lalu.

Projek pembangunan yang dirancang itu membabitkan pembangunan bercampur di Bandar Bukit Raja, Kapar (Sime Darby), pembangunan bercampur di Rawang (Kundang Properties), resort golf 18-lubang di Batang Kali (Mines Gold & City Sdn Bhd) dan pembangunan bercampur di Beranang, Hulu Selangor (Riverside Hills Sdn Bhd).

Selain itu, antara projek lain adalah projek perumahan dan komersil di Dengkil, Sepang (Tristar Acres Sdn Bhd), projek perumahan di Semenyih, Hulu Langat (UEM Land Berhad) dan pembangunan semula kawasan Institut Penyelidikan Getah Malaysia di Sungai Buloh (Kwasa Ldn Sdn Bhd).

Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dam Desa dalam mesyuarat Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Negeri (MTES), semalam turut mengesahkan sebanyak 85,415 unit rumah akan dibina melalui pembangunan terbabit untuk didiami 403, 700 orang.

Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, berkata kerajaan negeri akan terbabit secara aktif dalam projek berkenaan kerana  memberi kesan yang besar dan faedah secara langsung kepada rakyat.

Beliau yang mempengerusikan mesyuarat mingguan itu turut mengarahkan kakitangan kerajaan dan agensi negeri memberi kerjasama sepenuhnya kepada agensi persekutuan yang terbabit dalam pembangunan projek berkenaan.

Abdul Khalid berkata, syarikat air yang akan dilantik kerajaan negeri selepas penstrukturan semula air diselesaikan akan memainkan peranan penting bagi membekalkan air bersih secara cekap sebagai perkhidmatan utama kepada penduduk di kawasan baru berkenaan.

"Kerajaan Selangor sangat komited untuk menyelesaikan penyusunan semula industri air dan berharap pengambilalihan ini selesai, akhir tahun ini seperti yang ditetapkan menteri.

"Pasukan kami terdiri daripada kumpulan profesional yang pakar dan berpengalaman dalam pengurusan air bersedia. Tugas mereka yang pertama adalah mengurangkan kadar air tidak berhasil (NRW)," katanya dalam satu kenyataan media, di sini, pagi ini.

Sumber: SelangorKu

Anwar: Belanjawan Hukum Rakyat

Posted: 25 Oct 2013 02:00 AM PDT

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menyelar Belanjawan 2014 hari ini yang menurutnya menghukum rakyat dan gagal menyentuh isu asas kebocoran dan urus tadbir yang baik.

"Kamu menghukum rakyat dengan GST (cukai barang dan perkhidmatan). Tiada perubahan antara jurang kaya dan miskin. Kita akan bersungguh-sungguh menentang GST," kata ketua pembangkang.

Anwar juga menyifatkan belanjawan kali ini sebagai paradoks kerana dianggap menyebelahi syarikat dan "orang kaya tetapi dalam masa yang sama memperkenal cukai yang melibatkan banyak pihak.

"Cukai lebih rendah untuk orang kaya, dana khas kepada syarikat, dalam masa yang sama kamu kenakan cukai umum yang akan jejaskan segmen besar masyarakat. Ini paradoks."

Setelah pelbagai spekulasi, kerajaan akhirnya hari ini mengumumkan GST 6 peratus akan diperkenal bagi menggantikan Cukai Jualan dan Perkhidmatan (SST) yang akan dimansuhkan.

Ia akan berkuat kuasa pada 1 April 2015.

Menyentuh pengurangan subsidi gula mulai esok, ketua umum PKR itu menyifatkan hujah yang digunakannnya "remeh".

Subsidi gula sebanyak 34 sen akan dimansuhkan berkuatkuasa esok bertujuan mengurangkan jumlah pesakit diabetes di negara ini yang agak membimbangkan.

Sumber: MalaysiaKini

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim


Noh, wrong! Ops Lalang was orchestrated

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 05:10 AM PDT

Malaysiakini

BN’s Tanjung Karang MP Noh Omar has been quoted as saying that Malaysia will not be a country at peace if Operasi Lalang had not been carried out in 1987.

He said this on Oct 22, during the debate in Parliament on the amendments to the Security Offences (Special Measures] Act (Sosma). The amendments seek to place organised crime as an offence punishable under Sosma.

Noh said there was a threat of racial riots in 1987, resulting in the dragnet that saw more than 100 innocent Malaysians arrested and detained without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

I was one of those detained and I happen to be one of the few Malaysians who have been documenting and monitoring Umno and the way it orchestrates “sensitive issues” whenever there is a crisis facing the party.

Yes, like the May 13 pogrom, Ops Lalang was also orchestrated by Umno. Unlike May 13, we have the benefit of more media coverage and more witnesses among the present generation regarding Operation Lalang.

Umno is facing a break-up

We know that 1987 that time during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s term when he faced the biggest threat to his rule, with Team B under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah challenging the results of the Umno elections.

A court decision in Team B’s favour would have meant the end of Mahathir’s grasp on power.

Thus, in the run up to Ops Lalang and before the assault on the judiciary resulting in the sacking of the Lord President and several other Supreme Court judges, the ruling party orchestrated a tense situation in the country by creating various “sensitive” issues.

These included the sending of non-Mandarin qualified administrators to the Chinese schools, conversion of Muslims to Christianity and even threats to organise a 500,000-people Umno rally in the capital.

All these were to justify the unleashing of 'Ops Lalang’ to deal with the so-called “threat to national security”.

The country’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, in his twilight years at that time, had more perception and integrity than Mahathir in his prime and certainly more political nous than the Tanjung Karang MP.

The Tunku, like many other perceptive democrats at the time, could see how Ops Lalang was orchestrated. This is how he described the situation:

“Umno was facing a break-up. The Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s hold on the party appeared critical when election rigging was alleged to have given him a very narrow victory over Tengku Razaleigh. The case alleging irregularities brought by Umno members was pending in court. If the judgment went against him he would have no choice but to step down. So he had to find a way out of his predicament. A national crisis had to be created to bring UMNO together as a united force to fight a common enemy – and the imaginary enemy in this case was the Chinese community.”

Gangsters new 'threat to national security’?

The ISA has been at the convenient disposal of the government of the day ever since its introduction in 1960. When it was first introduced in Parliament, Abdul Razak Hussein tried to justify it by saying it would only be used against “communist terrorists”.

Through its grisly career, the ISA has been used most blatantly by the ruling coalition to cripple its political opponents, most notably the arrest and detention of practically the entire leadership of the Socialist Front, the main threat to the Alliance during the Sixties.

This sham democracy was the main reason for the Socialist Front’s boycott of the 1969 general elections.

Since then, “threats to national security” have included Members of Parliament, trade unionists, environmentalists, educationists, Christian evangelists, Islamic practitioners, document forgers, and the list goes on…

Since the repeal of the ISA, detention without trial now comes in the guise of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act. With the latest amendments to Sosma, we are told that gangsters are the new “threat to national security”.

All this points not to any threat to the nation but to the machinations of a very insecure regime that orchestrates “sensitive issues” whenever any crisis to the ruling party necessitates it.

Don’t misunderestimate Russell Brand!

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 02:18 AM PDT

Washington Post

I don't know why interviewers still insist on underestimating Russell Brand. Have they not watched any of his previous interviews? Anyone who has seen any interview or guest appearance he's made in the past few months — or even years — will notice that he expresses himself clearly, has been following the issues and does not like being treated like a "trivial" actor/comedian, never mind what the chyron beneath him says.

Now he's done it again, this time on Wednesday night on BBC's Newsnight program with Jeremy Paxman. I can't show the full clip, which contains an F-bomb (Gawker has it; you stand warned) but if you are an interviewer planning on casually dismissing Brand, please, alter your plans. Do not assume that he does not have a vocabulary at least as large as yours, and do not laugh him off or address him as though he is not in the room. This will not work. It will only make him and his revolution stronger, and will make you look like an idiot.

I sometimes wonder how long the Brand machine would thrive if we hired an American comic or actor to read exactly the same statements in an accent that was not British. Would they retain their power to impress? Probably. He explains his decision not to vote by fluently saying: "It is not that I am not voting out of apathy. I am not voting out of absolute indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies, treachery and deceit of the political class that has been going on for generations." Not the, "I'm not voting because I, uh, there was like a deadline or something and, um, cards and voting is, you know, ugh, you know?" as would probably come out of most of us were we put on the spot. He has mastered the art of being More Serious Than You Expected (MSTYE?) first pioneered by Jon Stewart. A comedian? With knowledge of the issues? And "lexicon" in his, er, lexicon? SURELY THIS IS THE NEW MESSIAH! LEAD US, RUSSELL, LEAD US!

I am paraphrasing a little, but this does seem to be the way the sentiment is tending. There are a few people hesitant to leap onto what is being termed the Brandwagon (well played!) but the response, if sheer volume of hits counts for anything, has been overwhelming. These awkward encounters offer all the raw enjoyment of watching newsmen cringe combined with the delight of seeing someone Susan Boyle an interview out of the park. Still, it's been happening with such regularity that you might think someone would notice. It's almost becoming Brand's stock in trade — comedian Russell shows up and shows you up. As long as interviewers keep failing to realize what they're dealing with, this publicity will spiral into — well, certainly more buzz for Brand's tours, but at his present rate of virality, possibly some kind of Occupy 2.0 or mass stampede to redistribute everything. You can't rule it out! Anyway, don't underestimate him. That's my point.

[VIDEO] Paxman and Brand on revolution and beards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBIhCOCg2Hg

GST: killing the golden goose

Posted: 27 Oct 2013 02:14 AM PDT

TMI

The proposed goods and services tax (GST) will tax those who can't afford to be taxed, i.e. 60% of Malaysians  who are eligible for BR1M. These are the people who will soon be taxed by the regressive tax, together with the rest of us who live and stay in this country.

I would like to drop the Orwellian double speak so prevalently employed by many GST apologists who are trying to mask the real issue. I will share my views plainly here.

Flawed arguments

 Some argue that the government has to be cruel to be kind. Hence, BN would have us believe that the fuel hike subsidy rationalisation is needed to balance the government's expenditure and ensure its good financial standing.

In theory, this sounds legit. However, look closer and you will find many flaws in the argument. For one, this argument does not take into account the adverse effects on the man on the street. It also demonstrates an incomplete understanding of how the economy grows or declines.

What is the real reason for the Barisan Nasional government to implement the GST? This tax has hung like a sword of Damocles over our heads since Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s era in 2005.

GST apologists' main argument is that it is the most effective form of taxation. What does "most effective" mean? Simply put, it means that the government can obtain more tax revenue from our pockets.

Another pro-GST argument is that since 140 odd countries have implemented it, Malaysia should follow suit . However, you do not find BN supporters rushing to follow in the footsteps of other countries' democratisation processes. For example, most countries in the world set the voting age at around 18, so why do we not adopt the "follow the majority" argument in this instance?

GST widens inequality

In the past decade, particularly after the 2008 global financial crisis, the global economy has become acutely concerned about income inequality – the gap between the haves and the have nots.

Scholars and thinkers the world over have acknowledged the negative effect that GST has on the income gap.

Assume  my income is RM10,000 and I spend RM1,000 and I'm charged a 5% GST or RM50 for the goods and services I consume. RM1,000 is just 1/10 of my supposed RM10,000 income. Imagine a person earns RM1,000 per month and spend all his income to consume goods and services and pays a similar 5% GST. RM50 to a person who earns RM10,000 and to a person who earns RM1,000 carries an absolutely different meaning. The lower income person will suffer more.

The BN apologists also argue that GST is fair, since it taxes everyone in a country where the majority do not pay tax. A belated consolation to the minority taxpaying group who have been contributing to the national coffers, if you will.

However, 60% of Malaysians are eligible for the BR1M financial aid, meaning to say 60% of Malaysian families earn less than RM3,000 a month. They are already struggling to make ends meet. They do not pay taxes because they are below  the tax-paying threshold.

Of course there are those who evade paying tax, I believe that we have adequate laws to deal with this, if the enforcement is done properly.

The middle income group will suffer too

Some advocates for GST said, the daily necessities of the poor are not subject to GST. I would like to ask them, who are the poor? If 60% of Malaysians need BR1M money, that means 60% of the country’s families are struggling. If what the 60% need are exempted from GST, might as well we keep to the old system as there is no GST system that exempts 60% of people and still remains worthwhile to run.

How do we differentiate between daily necessities for poor people and for normal people? Are we not degrading the quality of life of those trapped in the middle income group through their consumption of GST-exempted products meant for the poor?

One other argument is that by introducing GST, we can reduce sales tax and eventually, income tax.

While we recognise that Malaysia's tax system does no favours to the middle income bracket who earn between RM5,000 and RM10,000, the cure is not the introduction of GST. This unfortunate fact of high tax for middle income bracket should be rectified by tax adjustments to reduce the burden of the middle income families, shifting the focus to the super-rich.

Malaysia's GST is not like in the UK, Australia and other developed nations where top income tax rate were 50% and above before the introduction of the GST. For them, tax cuts were the natural course of action after the introduction of GST.

There is little room to manoeuvre for a tax cut with the Malaysian income tax rate which is not that high by comparison.

Killing the golden goose

BN ministers have said that the GST is a necessary evil to balance the accounts and to reduce deficit and debts. To most of us, such a statement means that the only "balance" it seems to bring is to allow the powers-that-be to continue to squander the nation's wealth – business as usual.

The crux of the matter is this: killing the golden goose. Here's what I mean by "golden goose"- our economy is no longer as export-reliant as it once heavily was. While previously, our biggest trading partner was the US, in the past three years the growth of our economy has heavily depended on domestic consumption.

Apart from the government's expenditure, domestic consumption comprises the money spent by ordinary citizens, mostly via debt. Hence, the rakyat who spend money are the "golden geese".

Malaysia's household debt is the second highest in all of Asia. Should the bubble burst, we will have many casualties.

I would like to reiterate that arguably, GST by nature is designed to tax those who cannot afford to be taxed in the first place. The 60% of citizens who are eligible for BR1M aid will now be taxed by GST, shrinking the domestic consumer market – i.e. the disposable income that could have been spent buying goods is now taken away by tax.

In this scenario, imposing GST at this stage will be akin to killing the golden goose. It would not be far fetched to imagine the worst case scenario of GST not as the feared monster of inflation, but the falling demand that precedes a recession.

Sabtu, 26 Oktober 2013

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim


Pakatan: Mana janji BR1M RM1,000 dulu?

Posted: 26 Oct 2013 12:33 AM PDT

Malaysiakini

Pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat menyindir Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak berhubung pengumuman kerajaan yang bercadang menambah dan meneruskan pemberian wang Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) dalam Bajet 2014.

Ahli parlimen Kulai Teo Nie Ching dan ADUN Batu Caves Amiruddin Shari mempersoal bantuan itu kepada isi rumah berpendapatan bulanan RM3,000 dan ke bawah yang akan dinaikkan daripada RM500 kepada RM650.

Sedangkan, pada Februari lalu – sebelum pilihan raya umum ke-13 – Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dilapor berkata bantuan itu boleh ditambah kepada RM1,000 jika BN berjaya mempertahankan Putrajaya.

“#Bajet2014 BR1M akan menaikkan (bantuan) kepada RM650. Saya ingat dulu TPM janjikan RM1,000," kata Teo dalam tweet-nya lewat petang semalam.

Sementara Amiruddin pula berkata: “Janji ditepati! Janji BR1M RM1,000 dapat RM650,” kata beliau dalam tweet-nya.

Muhyiddin antara lain dilapor berkata BR1M akan diberi “bukan sahaja untuk kali kedua, tetapi untuk masa ketiga, keempat, kelima, atau malah selama-lamanya jika BN menang kerajaan”.

Sementara itu, berikut reaksi beberapa pemimpin Pakatan mengenai Bajet 2014 yang bertemakan “Memperteguh Ketahanan Ekonomi, Memperkasa Transformasi dan Melaksana Janji” di Parlimen petang semalam.

Ong Kian Ming, ahli parlimen DAP Serdang

Saya tidak tahu mengapa Najib fikir dengan GST akan lebih murah, tetapi saya tidak bersetuju dengan beliau.

Beliau berkata, orang ramai akan dapat kurang berbelanja kerana cukai jualan dan perkhidmatan dimansuhkan (10 dan 6 peratus). Cukai jualan dan perkhidmatan adalah untuk peratusan kecil daripada beberapa barang.

GST adalah menyeluruh. Syarikat akan mengambil peluang ini untuk meningkatkan harga barangan sekurang-kurangnya 4 peratus. Malah, saya menjangkakan harga akan meningkat.

Liew Chin Tong, ahli jawatankuasa pusat DAP

Ada lebih banyak cara lain untuk kehidupan lebih sihat (subsidi gula). Peruntukan pengangkutan awam tidak banyak.

Terdapat potensi GST akan menyebabkan kemelesetan. Ia akan mengurangkan penggunaan domestik. Anda meningkatkan pendapatan dari golongan miskin. Apabila pendapatan boleh guna mereka dikurangkan, kuasa perbelanjaan mereka akan mengurangkan.

Ekonomi kita bergantung kepada penggunaan domestik. GST akan mengurangkan permintaan, orang akan berfikir tentang apa yang perlu dibayar. Kita pada dasarnya mencukai orang yang tidak pernah bayar cukai.

Tiada semakan semula menyeluruh tentang pengangkutan awam. Jika anda mahu mengurangkan subsidi, anda mesti mempunyai sistem pengangkutan awam yang cekap. Enam peratus adalah adalah tinggi, kami menjangkakan empat peratus.

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, angggota jawatankuasa pusat PAS

GST bertujuan mengelak cukai berganda, Najib bohong pada rakyat. Jika cukai berkurangan bagaimana mungkin untuk tambah hasil cukai, Najib?

Turut memberi pandangan ialah Ketua Pemuda MCA, Datuk Wee Ka Siong:

Pertama sekali, RPTG (Cukai Keuntungan Harta Tanah), (memberi) kesan yang besar kepada pembangunan perumahan. Ia tidak boleh dilakukan dalam tempoh yang singkat. Ramai kaum Cina terlibat dalam pembangunan hartanah. Ia mesti dilakukan secara berperingkat-peringkat.

Saya tahu niat yang baik, tetapi anda lakukan dengan cara yang drastik, mungkin menghalang jualan harta tanah. Sebanyak 150 industri terlibat di sini. SMJK mesti diberi peruntukan tertentu.

Saya fikir GST adalah OK. Rakyat berharap persoalan mereka terjawab, mengapa kita perlu GST. Rakyat akan memahami mengapa kita perlu GST. Saya berharap tidak ada cukai dua kali.

Jumaat, 25 Oktober 2013

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim


Najib unveils an ‘F’ budget: 6% GST but keeps mega projects, govt debt SOARS

Posted: 25 Oct 2013 05:04 AM PDT

Malaysia-Chronicle

As expected, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the implementation of Goods and Services Tax, to be effective from April 1, 2015.

The GST start rate at 6% is higher than the 4% expected, although not as bad as the 7% first pitched by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala.

"The government will do what is right for our economy. Some measures may not be popular now, but over the medium term what is good for the economy is also good for the people," Najib said in his Budget 2014 presentation.

Horrid set of priorities: I give him an ‘F’

Nonetheless, the move will open the floodgates to public anger once Malaysians start to grapple with already fast-rising prices of everyday items.

“Horrid set of priorities, still going for mammoth mega projects, fanciful pursuits of making Malaysia a shopping haven and thoughtlessness in adopting the regressive GST without walking the talk of addressing wastages,” Nurul Izzah, the Opposition MP for Lembah Pantai, told Malaysia Chronicle.

“An overall ‘F’ for the PM. What’s more worrying is the face of future Malaysia. What more can the average Malaysian worker suffer.”

Mega projects push already high govt debt to 54.8% of GDP from 53.3%

Indeed, Malaysians and foreign investors may soon find that the 60-year-old Najib has been playing both sides of the fence.

His minders have painted a picture of an urgent need to trim the deficit and record-high government bogey, using the recent Fitch downgrade in country outlook as a bogey, so as to justify the GST implementation which is expected to raise tax revenue from April next year.

However, despite projecting higher economic growth and a 50 basis points cut in the fiscal deficit for 2014, government debt has been forecast at 54.7% of GDP or hardly budged from this year’s record-high.

"Despite collecting the significantly higher than expected revenue, the deficit for 2013 remained at RM39.3 billion. It means that almost every single sen of extra revenue collected by the Government is immediately expended, instead of contributing towards reducing our debt," MP for PJ Utara Tony Pua said in a statement.

The just released Finance Ministry’s Economic Report had forecast government debt at an unprecedented RM541.3 billion or 54.8% of the GDP this year versus RM501.6 billion or 53.3% in 2012. The legal ceiling on Malaysia’s government borrowing is 55% of GDP and this exposes the Najib administration to running foul of the limit just as the US government was forced to shut down for nearly 2 weeks earlier this month.

“This is really like sleight of hand. You say the government needs money to cut borrowings, so you introduce GST. We can argue the borrowings were in the first place unjustified, with a lot of corrupt wastage. Then now, we can see very clearly the GST is not going to be plowed back to cut debt but to allow Najib to keep financing mega projects,” Opposition MP for Batu Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

“My sense tells me we can expect GST to be raised and subsidies to be continually cut in the future. There is no sincere commitment to cut debt. What this means is soaring prices and the poor getting poorer while the richer keep getting richer.”

Higher growth, lower deficit, higher government debt

Najib had this afternoon unveiled total budget of RM264.2 billion for 2014. Operation expenditure was estimated at RM217.7 billion and development expenditure at RM46.5 billion versus revenue of 224.1 billion.

He projected a lower fiscal deficit of 3.5% of GDP in 2014. This compares against the 2013 target of 4%, which most analysts already expect him to miss.

There will also be a RM7.3 billion cut in the subsidies budget from RM46.7 billion in 2013 to RM39.4 billion in 2014. Ultimately, this will translate into high prices for consumers as the government will be subsidizing less of their costs.

“Why is the Government asking ordinary Malaysians to tighten their belts and suffer higher prices, but the Government chooses to continue with its big spending ways. The subsidy cuts aren’t going toward reducing our debt or deficit, instead it is just providing more funds for the Government to go shopping,” said Tony.

While the government insists that GST was necessary to expand Malaysia's narrow tax base, which has been limited as only 10 percent of the workforce pay income tax, critics say that real wages have not risen and in fact have turned negative for many due to runaway property prices.

The GST will replace the Sales and Services Tax. Items to be exempted from GST are rice, sugar, salt, flour, cooking oil, dhal, chilli, herbs, salted fish, cincalok, budu, belacan, pipe water, electricity (for domestic use), government services, public transport (bus, LRT, ferry, toll) sales and purchase of property or rental of property.

Mega projects

Among the mega projects announced in Budget 2014 are the 316km West Coast Expressway from Banting to Taiping, the double-tracking projects from Ipoh to Padang Besar and later from Gemas to Johor Bahru.

RM700 million will also be allocated to build new air traffic control and management system at KLIA. This is to replace the existing one in Subang.  RM312 million will be spent to upgrade Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Miri, Sibu and Mukah airports, additional upgrade of terminals in Langkawi International Airport and Kuantan Airport.

The services sector blueprint will also be launched next year, while the logistics sector master plan and national aviation policy will also be formulated. - Malaysia Chronicle

Further details of the Budget 2014 are listed below:

Total budget: RM264.2 billion

Operation expenditure: RM217.7 billion
Development expenditure: RM46.5 billion

GDP growth 

2014: 4.5% – 5.5%
2013: 4.5% – 5.5%
2012: 4.5% – 5.0%

Revenue 

2014: RM224.1 bil
2013: RM220.1 bil
2012: RM206.2 bil

Deficit

2014: 3.5% of GDP
2013: 4.0%
2012: 4.5%

Domestic economic prospects

  • Net foreign direct investment was higher at RM18.2 billion in the first half of 2013 compared with RM15.9 billion during the same period in 2012.
  • International reserves remained strong at RM444.9 billion at Oct 14, sufficient to finance 9.7 months of retained imports and 3.9 times the short-term external debt.
  • For entire 2013, domestic economy expected to expand 4.5% – 5%. Growth supported by private investment, increasing 16.2% to estimated RM165 billion.
  • Private and public consumption expected to grow 7.4% and 7.3% respectively
  • Domestic economy projected to grow at a stronger pace of 5% to 5.5%. Growth to be driven by private investment at 12.7%, and private consumption 6.2%.
  • Exports of goods expected to grow 2.5% over improving external demand. On the supply side, construction sector expected to grow 9.6%, services sector at 5.7%.
  • Unemployment rate estimated at 3.1%, inflation rate to remain low between 2% and 3%.
  • Per capita income for 2014 expected to reach RM34,126. Plans to achieve the target per capita income of RM46,500 in and even “achieve developed nation status much earlier than 2020″.

Goods and Services Tax

  • Government to introduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 6% starting April 1, 2015. Sales and Services Tax to be abolished.
  • Items to be exempted from GST – rice, sugar, salt, flour, cooking oil, dhal, chilli, herbs, salted fish, cincalok, budu, belacan, piped water, electricity (for first 200 for domestic use), government services, public transport (bus, LRT, ferry, toll) sales and purchase of property or rental of property.
  • Implementation comes with a reduction in tax structure effective from 2015. Generally, those with family and earning RM4,000 and below need no longer pay income tax.
  • After GST, a one-off cash payment of RM300 to be made to those now receiving BR1M help.
  • GST monitoring committee to be chaired by Minister of Finance II Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah to ensure smooth implementation.

Tax incentives

  • In tandem with GST, individual income tax rates to be reduced by one to three percentage points for all taxpayers.
  • Chargeable income subject to maximum rate to be increased from exceeding RM100,000 to exceeding RM400,000.
  • Current maximum tax rate at 26% to be reduced to 24%, 24.5% and 25%. These measures to be effective from 2015.
  • Tax rebate of RM2,000 for those earning less than RM8,000
  • To help the employer’s burden of implementing of minimum wage scheme – RM900 in Peninsula Malaysia and RM800 in Sabah and Sarawak, the government will introduce extra tax incentives for whole of 2014. This is to help employers to top up salaries of their employees to the minimum level.
  • Corporate tax rate cut by 1 percentage point from 25% to 24%, for SMEs reduction from 20% to 19% from year of assessment 2016.
  • Cooperative tax rate cut by 1 to 2 percentage points from year of assessment 2015.

Projects and allocations

  • Projects to be implemented include 316km West Coast Expressway from Banting to Taiping. and double-tracking projects from Ipoh to Padang Besar and later from Gemas to Johor Bahru.
  • National Entrepreneur Development Office to be established to plan and coordinate all entrepreneurship activities.
  • RM1 billion investment in companies scoring high on Environmental, Social and Governance Index.
  • RM265 mil to resolve electricity cuts in Sabah.
  • Government to conduct audit on projects valued at more than RM100 million.
  • 496 more CCTV at 25 areas. RM200 mil allocated for police to get more equipment (weapons, bulletproof vest, forensic vehicles, biometric equipments)

Education

  • Education budget for 2014: RM54.6 billion or 21 percent of total budget.
  • RM450 mil funds for school maintenance. Breakdown: RM100 mil for SK, and RM50 mil each for all the rest: SJK(C), SJK(T), Sekolah Mubaligh, Sekolah Asrama Penuh, MRSM, government-aided religious school and sekolah agama rakyat.
  • Government to continue giving RM100 cash to all primary and secondary school students.
  • Baucer Buku 1Malaysia for pre-U students of RM250 to continue. RM325 mil to be allocated and it is estimated that this will help 1.3 million students nationwide.
  • RM100 mil to improve education and training for Indians.

Tourism

2013 – RM25 mil tourist arrivals
2014 – Target: 28 mil tourist arrivals

2014 – Visit Malaysia Year
2015 – Year of Festivals

  • Government to spend RM 1.2 bil to develop, promote and publicise tourism in 2013-2014.
  • RM2 bil for Special Tourism Infrastructure Fund to finance building tourism infrastructure.

Air transport

  • RM700 million to build new air traffic control and management system at KLIA. This is to replace the existing one in Subang.
  • RM312 million to upgrade Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Miri, Sibu and Mukah airports, additional upgrade of terminals in Langkawi International Airport and Kuantan Airport.
  • Services sector blueprint to be launched next year, the logistics sector master plan and national aviation policy to be formulated.

Public transport

  • RM62 million for ‘park and ride' facilities at LRT, KTM Komuter and ERL stations.
  • RM15.3 million for Centralised Taxi Service System to ensure efficient mobilisation of taxi services.
  • RM28 million for building 'last city terminals', upgrading of bus stops and providing 'drop-and-ride' facilities.
  • Refurbishing electric trains at a cost of RM28 million to ensure frequency and efficiency of services.

High-speed broadband

  • Second phase of the High-Speed Broadband (HSBB) project in collaboration with the private sector involving RM1.8 billion investment to expand coverage to major towns. Internet speed to be increased to 10 Mbps.
  • RM1.5 bil to build 1,000 new telecommunications tower over three years. RM850 mil to build new undersea cable to improve internet in East Malaysia over 3 years.

Agriculture

  • RM6 bil allocated to implement high value-added and commercially viable agriculture programmes.
  • RM2.4 bil for agricultural subsidies and incentives for paddy and fish farming.

Subsidies reduction

  • Sugar subsidy of 34 sen to be abolished tomorrow. Price to go up to RM2.84 per kg.
  • Government to allocate RM47 bil for subsidies in 2013 and 53% or RM24.8 bil went to petrolem products that benefitted all, even the rich, the businessmen and foreigners.
  • Najib cites the recent petrol price subsidy cut as an example of this structural changes to come for subsidies, which make up to a fifth of the total national budget.

Retirement scheme

  • To allocate RM210 mil for a private retirement scheme (PRS) to encourage young to start saving. Starting Jan 1, the government will top up RM500 into the account for those aged 20-30 years old who can save RM1,000.
  • It is estimated that 420,000 youths may join this scheme to run for five years.

Increase of Real Property Gain Tax (RPGT)

  • RPGT increased as follow:
- 30% (first 3 years)
- 20% (fourth year)
- 15% (fifth year)
- For foreigners: 30% for all five years
  • Minimum property purchase price for foreigners to be doubled from RM500,000 to RM1 mil.
  • Cheaper homes: Subsidy of RM15,000 to RM20,000 for private and public developers for low and medium cost homes, for sale to first home buyers.

BRIM 3.0

  • Those earning household income of below RM3,000 to get RM650, an increase of RM150.
  • RM450 for those households earning between RM3,000 and RM4,000.
  • For single individuals earning below RM2,000, they get RM300 each.
  • In total, RM4.6 billion will be handed out under BR1M 3.0.

Health

  • Additional 6,400 nurses in government hospitals.
  • RM3.3 bil for medication and medical equipment.

Anwar: Gov’t punishing the people with GST

Posted: 25 Oct 2013 04:59 AM PDT

Malaysiakini

The introduction of the good and services tax (GST), as just recently announced by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as part of the 2014 Budget only serves to "punish the people", said Anwar Ibrahim.

In an immediate reaction to the budget, the opposition leader said this will only further serve to widen the divide between the rich and the poor and vowed that Pakatan Rakyat will continue to oppose the GST in earnest.

However, he said the budget further lacked focus "fundamental issues and good governance".

"There was feeble argument on reducing sugar subsidy. There is no focus on the issue of good governance.

"(There was) Lower taxes for the rich, special funds for companies (but) at the same time you impose general tax that will affect a large segment of the population. It is a paradox," he said

Najib today announced that the Sales and Service Tax will be abolished, and in its place will be the much-critised GST at 6 percent, effective from April 1, 2015.

In Budget 2014, MP sees no curb to Putrajaya’s appetite

Posted: 25 Oct 2013 04:57 AM PDT

TMMO

A government deficit that remains unmoved despite a RM14.4 billion surfeit in tax collections suggests that Putrajaya is incapable of reining in its excess spending even as it imposes a Good and Services Tax (GST) on the public, DAP's Tony Pua said today.

Pointing out that the reported excess in tax collections disclosed in Economic Report 2013/14 should have helped slash the chronic deficit to a "euphoric" 2.6 per cent, the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said this has instead remained unchanged at the projected 4 per cent.

"Despite collecting the significantly higher than expected revenue, the deficit for 2013 remained at RM39.3 billion. It means that almost every single sen of extra revenue collected by the Government is immediately expended, instead of contributing towards reducing our debt," Pua said in a statement today.

Putrajaya today announced the introduction of the long-delayed GST that will begin at 6 per cent from April 1, 2015 in a bid to widen its revenue base and tackle its chronic overspending that dates back to the Asian Financial Crisis of the 90s.

But despite seeking to shift the burden to the public, Pua said the Budget for 2014 also showed that Putrajaya was not slowing down its spending.

"Datuk Seri Najib  (Razak) is seeking the Parliament to increase the operating expenditure further to RM217.7 billion, despite a massive RM7.3 billion cut in the subsidies budget from RM46.7 billion in 2013 to RM39.4 billion in 2014.

"Effectively, that means whatever that is saved from the subsidies reduction goes entirely towards other government operating expenditure," Pua added.

While billed as a "brave reform", Pua noted that any benefit from the introduction of the GST would be negated by the government's inability to spend less than it takes in.

He added that instead of addressing the deficit, the new tax would become another avenue to fill "the coffers of the government so as to reduce the need for the BN administration to cut down on its excesses.

"The GST is a consumption tax, meaning all Malaysians will be taxed according to their level of spending, regardless of income. This differs from income tax that is only applicable after a certain salary level is exceeded.

Najib announced today that essential food items would be exempted from the tax, in addition to tap water and the first 200 units of electricity. Government services and public transport will also be exempted.

The tax was first announced during Budget 2005 and was originally scheduled to be implemented in 2007 before it was deferred.

The GST Bill was then tabled for the first reading in 2009 for implementation in late 2011, but was withdrawn during the second reading in 2010 following fierce public resistance.

Pakatan’s shadow budget to address measures on curbing ‘twin deficits’

Posted: 25 Oct 2013 04:56 AM PDT

TMMO

Economic analysts, rating agencies and policymakers have expressed their concerns on the broadening risk of "twin deficits" in several countries. Malaysia is one of the countries that encounters the potential due to the shrinking of national current-account surplus and its continuous budget deficits every year. The Fitch-Ratings agency warns about the country's poor economic performance and thus, downgrades its credit-rating of the Malaysian economy from stable to negative. Dozens of private investors have shown their dwindling interest in local market, but the BN government has continued its lavish spending on unnecessary purchases.

A gloomier outlook of the economy plus the low-recovering speed of BRICS countries have caused emerging markets to become more vulnerable. Whether the Federal Reserve will continue its long-term asset purchase through Quantitative Easing (QE) still remains obscure. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has pledged to trim the fiscal deficit from 4.5 per cent to 4 per cent this year. However, this may be piecemeal reforms and blanket approaches seemed far from forthcoming. To maintain macroeconomic stability with a sustainable pace of growth  requires bold and courageous effort but with his lacklustre reform policies it will seem impossible to meet the requirement of its undertaking.

Pakatan's 2014 shadow budget foresees its capabilities to reduce the concerns over the potential of "twin deficits" by proposing a balanced fiscal reform with a greater prospect of fostering the people's needs. Below are excerpts from Pakatan Rakyat's 2014 Budget that address the underlying fiscal consolidation:

  1. To break the vicious cycle of mounting public debt in excess of RM500 billion and the ever growing annual debt service charges of approximately RM20 billion at present of about 10 per cent of annual operating expenditure
  2. To preserve economic resilience in the medium-to-long term in the face of very challenging global economic and financial environment
  3. Move away from "borrowed-growth" model with a rising share of the government spending-led economic activities

Malaysia's relatively large public debt at 53.3 per cent of GDP was also one of the key issues behind the downgrade of Malaysia's economic outlook by Fitch-Ratings. The ballooning public debt in Malaysia is narrowly reaching its debt ceiling due to government wastages and corruption that breeds easily under the BN government. Therefore, Pakatan Rakyat proposed a refining policy to curb these problems by increasing spending efficiency and start its work on the rationalisation process.

Pakatan holds a radical approach to encourage wise spending by introducing a broad-cost rationalisation programme in all ministries and government departments to achieve an across the board 10 per cent cut in annual operating expenditure. The 2012 Auditor-General Report has drawn heavy criticism from every quarters due to the inefficiency of the government agency's handling of taxpayer's money. This led to the conclusion that Najib's announcement of policy reforms is merely cosmetic.

Pakatan has unveiled its cost-containment and savings initiative programmes through specific measures such as:

  1. Implementation of Liquidated Ascertained Damage (LAD) system

This measure is a bold attempt to punish parties that do not fulfil their responsibilities within the timeframe. They must compensate for the loss incurred in the project. Hence, this system should ensure all parties are heavily dedicated to complete their assigned project without allocations of additional cost. The regular practice of this policy may avoid any postponement of projects from its original planning

  1. Qualitative Assessment for Government projects.

Pakatan Rakyat aspires to perform an in-depth assessment of projects from both qualitative and quantitative aspect. Furthermore, government projects will undergo stricter regulation to comply with international standards.

These measures are vital to the development of the nation's economy, while at the same time comply with Pakatan's effort to provide a comprehensive solution of the rising deficit each year. Dealing with the concerns about the twin deficits' threat to Malaysia's economy, Pakatan's shadow budget unleashes its measures to reduce government spending through practical solutions. This could help to boost government's savings estimated at RM 5.7 billion each year.

Pakatan also anticipates a lower budget deficit over GDP this year at 3.2 per cent as compared to the government projection at 4 per cent this year from 4.5 per cent in 2012 while it targets a higher pace of growth estimated a 5.2 per cent due to efficient government spending. It holds the view that spending efficiency is a massive consideration while trimming the deficit. Some of the concerns about Malaysia's mounting public debt at 53 per cent of GDP this year might be well addressed if the current government knows how to spend wisely. Hence, a few measures from Pakatan's shadow budget 2014 can be an eye-opener of how the rationalisation of government spending will help to curb the potential of "twin-deficits" in Malaysia.

[PROGRAM] Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim Di Melaka 26 Oktober 2013 (Sabtu)

Posted: 25 Oct 2013 01:36 AM PDT

1) 4:00 ptg – 6:00 ptg : #MeetAnwar ‘Dialog Anak Muda Bersama Dato’Seri Anwar Ibrahim’ (AIC) di King’s Hotel, Lebuh Ayer Keroh

2) 7:00 ptg – 9:00 ptg : Tazkirah, Rumah Hj Ismail (Sebelah Masjid Krubong)

3) 9.30 mlm – 10.30 mlm : Makan Malam Perdana, Dataran Rakyat, Bukit Katil

Pertanyaan lanjut: 0162462913 (En. Yusof)

PEJABAT DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM