PAS MP urges rethink of govt's vague subsidy plan
He stressed that while PAS is not opposed to reforms, the opposition party will not stand by initiatives that victimise the rakyat by making them the subjects of economic policy 'experiments'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysiakini
30 minutes ago
- Malaysiakini
Hadi's son-in-law demands apology from Sim
PAS leader Zaharudin Muhammad has initiated legal action against Human Resources Minister Steven Sim for allegedly slandering him. This was in regard to a statement made by Sim last week, where the DAP deputy secretary-general criticised Zaharudin's controversial remarks about the promotion of the army's first Chinese lieutenant general.
New Straits Times
18 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Expanded SST a bold step, not 'Black Day', says Mahfuz
ALOR STAR: Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) has rebuked opposition leaders who claimed that the implementation of the expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) on July 1 marks a "black day" for Malaysians. Its vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar described such remarks, particularly from Pas leaders, as populist and irresponsible attempts to stoke public emotions without a rational understanding of the country's economic needs. He said the opposition's criticisms were devoid of facts and ignored the importance of sustainable national revenue generation. "This expanded SST framework ensures that government revenue can be collected fairly and redirected to the people through targeted subsidies and aid," he said in a statement today. Mahfuz stressed that essential items, such as rice, poultry, eggs, vegetables, fish, medicines, education and healthcare services remain exempted from the tax. "The tax mainly targets luxury spending, not daily essentials. So it is the high-income earners who are more affected, not the general public," he said. He said the funds generated through SST and the rationalisation of subsidies were being channelled into numerous government aid programmes. Mahfuz also pointed out that Malaysia's SST rate remained among the lowest in the region, at eight per cent, compared to Indonesia's 11 per cent VAT, the Philippines (12 per cent), Vietnam (10 per cent), Cambodia (10 per cent), Laos (10 per cent) and Singapore's GST (9 per cent). "Once again, Pas and the opposition have shown their failure to understand the complexities of governing a nation. They oppose for the sake of opposing, without offering constructive solutions. Yet when they govern their own states, they too impose taxes," he added.
Free Malaysia Today
18 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
PN unlikely to take Teluk Intan without heavyweight to match Nga, say analysts
Ahmad Fadhli Shaari of PAS said PN can take the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat currently held by DAP's Nga Kor Ming. PETALING JAYA : Perikatan Nasional (PN) will struggle to win the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat unless it nominates a candidate as strong as the incumbent, Nga Kor Ming of DAP, political analysts say. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Mazlan Ali said Nga, the housing and local government minister, not only commanded strong support among DAP loyalists but was widely respected within the Chinese community. 'To take Teluk Intan, PN needs to put forward a candidate of equal calibre to Nga, if such a figure exists in Gerakan,' he told FMT. 'But in today's political climate, it's a real challenge for Gerakan to compete with DAP, which enjoys solid backing from Chinese voters.' Mazlan was commenting on remarks by PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who said during a Teluk Intan PAS meeting that PN could capture the seat due to growing dissatisfaction and the perceived weakness of the unity government. DAP currently holds the seat but suffered a rare setback in 2014 when Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong, contesting under Barisan Nasional (BN), won a by-election by just 238 votes against DAP's Dyana Sofya. Nga reclaimed the seat in the 14th general election, defeating Mah with a majority of over 11,000 votes. He retained it in 2022, beating Bersatu's Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin in a four-cornered fight. Mazlan dismissed PAS's hope of victory as 'a Mat Jenin dream' or an unrealistic fantasy, given the constituency's mixed demographic make-up of 50% Malay, 33% Chinese, and 17% Indian. He said it would be next to impossible for PN to take a mixed seat like Teluk Intan, especially given the strong cooperation between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN. 'If PAS wants to win here, it needs non-Malay votes, particularly Chinese votes, which overwhelmingly go to DAP,' he said. 'PN can only win big if the seat has at least 70% Malay voters, like in the east coast or the northern regions.' Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said PAS's optimism might stem from the belief that traditional Umno voters would refuse to back a DAP candidate if PH and BN field a joint candidate. 'PAS likely sees an opportunity in a potential Malay voter backlash against DAP, which is why it's eyeing Teluk Intan,' he said. But Azmi, too, questioned PN's influence in Perak, saying it had weakened as the unity coalition grew increasingly cohesive. 'PN isn't strong enough to take Teluk Intan or Perak, for that matter,' he said. 'The bigger question is: will its candidate come from PAS or Bersatu? Because Gerakan simply doesn't have anyone who can appeal to non-Malay voters.'
