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Daily Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Days of these politicians are over
Published on: Saturday, June 28, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 28, 2025 Text Size: Sabar committee posing with political leaders and representatives. Kota Kinabalu: Sabahans are fed up with politicians who make big promises during elections but forget about them once they get into power. That was the clear message from stakeholders at the recently held 'Sabah Voices to Action – Shaping Sabah's Future Together' final townhall initiative which presented a detailed wish list to political parties preparing for the coming state election. Among political parties present were Star Sabah, SAPP, PBS, Parti Impian Sabah, Warisan, Gagasan Rakyat, LDP and Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri. The wish list is not just any ordinary document. It is a thick 60-page report packed with 117 specific suggestions on how to fix Sabah's problems in schools, hospitals, roads and government services. The report was put together after three months of listening to ordinary Sabahans from all walks of life. Sabah Law Society's (SLS) Immediate Past President Datuk Roger Chin told politicians they need to stop treating their election promises like throwaway lines. 'If you are brave enough, put it in your manifesto and please do not do what happened in the past, which is by saying that your manifesto is not cast in stone, it is not the Bible and you do not have to comply with it. 'In today's day and age of the Internet, the public will hold you accountable,' he said, adding that today's voters will not stay quiet if politicians break their promises. The report comes from a citizen movement called Sabah Voices to Action organised by Sabah Action Body Advocating Rights (SABAR) and other community groups. Over three months, they held talks in towns across Sabah including Kota Marudu, Keningau, Tawau and Sandakan, listening to what people really want. The report covers four main areas that affect daily life, namely education, healthcare, roads and infrastructure and how the government runs things. For schools, Sabahans want a separate Sabah Education Ministry that can hire teachers locally, buy school equipment without waiting for Federal approval and create lessons that teach children about Sabah's history and culture. They also want better support for rural schools and children without proper documents. For healthcare, people want a Sabah Health Ministry to have programmes specifically for the State's needs. This includes better pay and career opportunities for doctors and nurses, more medical services in rural areas, online consultations for remote patients and help with travel costs for people who need treatment far from home. Professional Architect cum Sabah Professional Council President Rizal Ahmad Banjar assured politicians that experts are ready to help turn these ideas into reality. 'By virtue of us here, we can provide that assistance. 'We have professionals here and we are ever ready to assist you, whoever is going to be in power,' he said. Institut Sinaran former Chief Executive Officer William Pan suggested starting small rather than trying to do everything at once. 'There are things which we can achieve on the short term and in the midterm and the long term. 'Even in education, there are spaces to start with. So, start with those spaces,' he said. Sabah Medical Association President cum former Sabah Health Director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi addressed politicians who might be worried about taking on technical issues like healthcare and education. 'In Sabah, we have got a lot of people who can help you. 'When you put it in your manifesto, it does not mean that you will be the one doing it. But you will be the one making sure that somebody is doing it. 'Whether you are from political parties or non-governmental organisations, we are all doing it for the people,' she said, pointing out that everyone is working toward the same goal. The report also tackles Sabah's infrastructure problems with a six-step plan for building and maintaining roads, bridges and buildings. This includes proper planning, fair bidding processes, releasing money on time and regular upkeep. For government services, Sabahans want major changes including laws to control political funding, open bidding for all government contracts that people can track online and independent bodies to oversee spending. They also want government-linked companies to hire based on merit rather than political connections. Sabar trustee Datuk Ujang Sulani wrapped up the event by reminding everyone that Sabah has been having these conversations for decades. 'Sabah has always been rich not only in resources, but in spirit. But prosperity remains elusive. 'We must go beyond dialogue. This is no longer about being heard. It is time for us to be heeded, he said. He connected the current push to the unfulfilled promises of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement, saying it should mean true freedom not only from colonialism, but from dependency, bureaucracy and neglect. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
New Title IX investigation opened in Minnesota after trans pitcher wins girls' softball championship
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched a Title IX investigation into the state of Minnesota after a transgender pitcher led Champlin Park High School to a state championship earlier this month. HHS announced the investigation on Thursday, directly citing the controversial softball situation. "The male athlete's participation was instrumental, leading the team to win the state title," the announcement read. HHS's Office of Civil Rights Paula M. Stannard insisted that the state must follow federal law, and not its current state laws that permit trans inclusion in girls' sports. "Females cannot be relegated to the sidelines under Title IX," Stannard said in the announcement. "As a recipient of Federal funds, Title IX requires Minnesota to ensure fair and safe opportunities for females to compete on sex-segregated teams – regardless of state law obligations." The state is already under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for its state laws that allow biological males in girls' sports and defy President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. That investigation was elevated to the federal Title IX investigation team, which operates in conjunction with the Department of Justice, on June 12. The state is also engaged in a pair of lawsuits over the issue, one filed by state Attorney General Keith Ellison against the Trump administration, and another filed by three anonymous girls softball players against Ellison and the state over having to compete with a trans athlete. The state also failed to pass a bill that would have barred biological males from girls' and women's sports in early March after Democrats in the state's legislature voted against it. This allowed the trans pitcher, junior Marissa Rothenberger, to have a dominant playoff run for Champlin Park. Rothenberger threw a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out six in the championship game Friday, capping off a run that saw Rothenberger pitch all 21 innings across three state tournament games, giving up just two runs. The organization representing the plaintiffs suing the state over its policies, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), previously provided a statement from one of the female players about her experience facing the trans athlete. "Hitting against him is not only a physical challenge but a mental, too. It's a mental battle knowing that he has an advantage in the sport that I grew up playing, making it hard to even want to hit against him. His ability to get outs and spin the ball is a strong advantage, but like I said, it's also incredibly mentally challenging knowing that you're competing against someone who has unfair advantages leaving you with little to no confidence," the player said. "This issue has affected me in ways that I never imagined. It's simply unfair, and I hate that nothing is happening to change that. Boys should not be able to take girls' spots on teams just because they are capable of doing so. I hope that more girls affected by this issue will stand up against this." The anonymous player also called out Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for aggressively defending trans inclusion in girls' sports in the state. Ellison has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice over Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. "It's really upsetting to know that [Ellison] isn't taking rights of girls and women seriously. He is allowing boys to compete with girls, and it is not safe and completely unfair. To know that AG Ellison is in complete support of letting boys and men take advantage of females in sports is absolutely disgusting and wrong," the player added. Champlin Park's school district provided a statement to Fox News Digital defending the decision to allow the athlete to compete on the softball team. "Throughout the entire season, and as the Rebels advance to the state tournament, it is important to note that all of the student athletes participating for the Champlin Park Softball team are eligible to compete in compliance with Minnesota State High School League rules and applicable state law. Due to data privacy laws, the District is not able to provide public comment regarding a specific student athlete," a statement from the Anoka-Hennepin School District stated. "In addition, the District is named in an active lawsuit which limits what information can be shared." Ellison's office previously released a statement responding to the lawsuit against the state over Rothenberger's participation in the girls' softball season. "In addition to getting exercise and the fun of competition, playing sports comes with so many benefits for young people. You build friendships that can last a lifetime, you learn how to work as part of a team, and you get to feel like you belong," Ellison said. "I believe it is wrong to single out one group of students, who already face higher levels of bullying and harassment, and tell these kids they cannot be on the team because of who they are. I will continue to defend the rights of all students to play sports with their friends and peers." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
The smokescreen over Pakistan's cigarette taxes: a case for urgent fiscal scrutiny
As Pakistan continues to navigate persistent fiscal challenges, the recent budget documents for FY 2025-26, presented this month, contain an astonishing anomaly that demands immediate attention. It concerns the Federal Excise Duty (FED) on cigarettes – a seemingly mundane line item that, upon closer inspection, reveals a perplexing discrepancy between official production figures and actual tax collection, hinting at either profound systemic failure or, more troublingly, a strategic manipulation of numbers. Let's dissect the figures that raise eyebrows for any economist, or indeed, any discerning citizen. For the fiscal year 2023-24, the FBR successfully collected PKR 237.1 billion from cigarette FED. Building on this, the FBR initially set an ambitious target of PKR 323.7 billion for the current fiscal year, FY 2024-25, which concludes on June 30th. This optimism seemed plausible, especially considering data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), which reported a robust 13.1 percent growth in cigarette production during July-March of FY 2024-25 compared to the previous year. However, the revised estimates in the FY 2025–26 budget documents present a stark and perplexing contrast. The FBR now anticipates collecting a mere PKR 147 billion for the entire FY 2024-25. This isn't just a shortfall; it's a colossal 54.6% reduction from their own initial target, and a staggering 38% less than what was collected last year, despite reported production growth. A closer look at the data deepens the concern. The first six months of FY 2024-25 saw a FED collection of PKR 102.895 billion from 17,627 million sticks, indicating an effective tax rate of PKR 5.837 per stick. This rate implies that around 93 percent of the market comprises economy brands, and 7 percent premium — a plausible split. When we extend this calculation using PBS's reported production for the next three months (Jan-Mar 2025) — 8,746 million sticks — it projects an additional PKR 51.1 billion in revenue. Adding these figures, the estimated FED collection for the first nine months (July-March 2025) stands at approximately PKR 153.95 billion. Here is the crux of the conundrum: This PKR 153.95 billion, reflecting nine months of estimated revenue based on official production, already exceeds the FBR's own revised full-year estimate of PKR 147 billion. For the FBR's revised estimate to hold true, it would imply that for the entire April-June 2025 quarter, the government expects not just zero, but a statistically impossible negative collection of nearly PKR 7 billion. Alternatively, to meet the PKR 147 billion revised estimate, and given the first six months' collection, the FBR must assume virtually no premium brand production in the January-March quarter (as the numbers align perfectly with only the minimum tax rate), and absolutely zero cigarette production and zero tax collection in the final three months of the fiscal year. Such a scenario is economically untenable. So, what explains this extraordinary discrepancy? The plausible explanations are deeply concerning for Pakistan's fiscal health: Firstly, this could be a deliberate attempt to under-report revenue to build a narrative for lowering tax rates. The argument, often peddled by the industry, is that high taxes fuel illicit trade, and therefore, lower taxes are needed to bring the market into the formal net. However, if PBS's reported production is indeed growing, the problem isn't just illicit trade; it's that legal, declared production isn't translating into tax revenue. This points to a massive, systemic leakage within the formal tax net, potentially through widespread under-declaration or other evasive tactics post-production. Lowering tax rates in such a scenario would simply legitimize current tax avoidance, short-changing the national exchequer. Secondly, even if not deliberate manipulation, it signals a profound and alarming disconnect between declared economic activity and the FBR's ability to collect taxes. It suggests that a significant volume of legally produced cigarettes is somehow escaping the tax system, whether through a broken track-and-trace mechanism, ineffective enforcement, or fundamental flaws in revenue assessment. The fact that the FBR's own internal projections are so far off from what simple arithmetic of reported production suggests, is a damning indictment of forecasting and collection capabilities. The implications for Pakistan are severe. At least PKR 50 billion in lost tax revenue from a segment known for its high consumption directly translates into less funding for critical public services and poverty alleviation programs. It erodes public trust in the integrity of our financial data and sets a dangerous precedent for other sectors. As Pakistan embarks on a new fiscal year, this issue must not be dismissed as a mere accounting error. It is a matter of transparency, accountability, and the credibility of the nation's tax system. Moreover, the stakes extend beyond fiscal integrity – cigarette taxation is also a critical public health tool. Weak enforcement and revenue leakage not only deprive the state of much-needed funds but also undermine efforts to curb tobacco consumption, which remains a leading cause of preventable illness and death in Pakistan. A thorough, independent investigation is essential, along with urgent reforms to restore integrity to the taxation of one of the country's most heavily consumed and harmful products. Without decisive action, the smokescreen surrounding cigarette taxation will continue to obscure a harsh reality: Pakistan is haemorrhaging billions in revenue, and its citizens deserve to know why. (The writer is Principal Economist, SPDC) Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
WHO warns unchanged FED on cigarettes may boost consumption
ISLAMABAD: World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed serious concern that the Federal Cabinet decision to keep Federal Excise Duty (FED) rates on cigarettes unchanged in budget (2025-26) would increase cigarette consumption in Pakistan. According to a report of the WHO on post-budget analysis and review issued on Wednesday, since February 2023, the Federal Excise Duty (FED) rates on cigarettes have remained unchanged. The Cabinet has maintained these rates in the proposed budget for FY 2025–26. With inflation rising by 26% over this period, the real value of FED rates and cigarette prices has declined, and this trend is expected to continue in the absence of any adjustment. For FY 2024–25, WHO has estimated cigarette production at approximately 37 billion sticks, an increase compared to the previous fiscal year—and projected FED revenue at Rs. 208 billion. Given the decision to keep FED rates unchanged for FY 2025–26, nominal cigarette prices are likely to remain flat, implying a further decline in real prices. This will likely result in increased cigarette consumption. Based on a simple simulation model, cigarette production (and consumption) is projected to reach around 38 billion sticks, generating Rs 217.6 billion in FED revenue in FY 2025–26. Alternatively, a policy intervention involving a Rs 39 per pack increase in FED could reduce cigarette consumption by an estimated 10.7%, bringing production down to around 34 billion sticks. This policy would also boost FED revenues by 20.9% compared to the current plan, resulting in higher fiscal and public health gains. Notably, the government has set a revised FED revenue target of only Rs. 147 billion from cigarettes in FY 2024–25—a surprisingly conservative figure, considering actual collections reached Rs 157 billion during the first nine months of the fiscal year. We estimate that total FED revenue for FY 2024–25 will reach approximately Rs. 208.2 billion, nearly Rs. 60 billion more than collected in the first three quarters. Estimated cigarette FED collection in FY 2024/25. Based on PBS's data, the average annual growth rate of cigarettes production from July 2024 to April 2025 is 12.4% higher when compared to July 2023/April 24. By assuming the same annual growth rate for the next two months, the estimated production of cigarettes for 2024-25 will be around 37 billion sticks. By applying the above market shares and FED and GST rates, it is important to note that the estimated FED revenue collection for 2024-25 is 208.2 billion Rs. This is much higher than 147.8 billion Rs of the government's revised target for 2024-25. The total indirect tax collection from cigarettes (FED+GST) in 2024-25 will be around Rs 275.7 billion. To protect both public health and government revenue, Pakistan's tobacco tax policy should be reassessed and strengthened. This includes regular adjustments to the Federal Excise Duty (FED) rates and stricter oversight of industry practices, such as production front loading ahead of the budget and manipulation of brand mixes. However, the current budget proposal for cigarette FED rates does not incorporate these tax policy corrections needed to meet revenue and health objectives. With this decision, the government and FBR hope to control cigarette illicit manufacturing and smuggling. To address those challenges, however, proper tax administration measures should be implemented, such as effective controls of the distribution movements of tobacco leaves, used cigarette machinery and other key cigarette inputs inside the national territory, WHO added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
2 days ago
- Politics
Federal lawsuit adds to allegations of child sexual abuse in Maryland youth detention centers
BALTIMORE -- A federal lawsuit could open a new chapter in an escalating legal battle in Maryland, where officials are struggling to address an unexpected onslaught of claims alleging child sexual abuse in state-run juvenile detention facilities. With thousands of similar claims already pending in state court, the litigation has raised questions about how Maryland will handle the potential financial liability. The new federal suit, filed Wednesday on behalf of three plaintiffs, seeks $300 million in damages — an amount that far exceeds caps imposed on claims filed in state court. It alleges Maryland juvenile justice leaders knew about a culture of abuse inside youth detention facilities and failed to address it, violating the plaintiffs' civil rights. A message seeking comment was left Thursday with the state's Department of Juvenile Services. The department generally doesn't comment on pending litigation. The Maryland Office of the Attorney General declined to comment. An estimated 11,000 plaintiffs have sued in state court, according to the attorneys involved. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said Wednesday that he believes negotiations for a potential settlement are ongoing between attorneys for the plaintiffs and the attorney general's office. Officials have said the state is facing a potential liability between $3 billion and $4 billion. Lawsuits started pouring in after a state law passed in 2023 eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims in Maryland. The change came in the immediate aftermath of a scathing investigative report that revealed widespread abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It prompted the archdiocese to file for bankruptcy to protect its assets. But Maryland leaders didn't anticipate they'd be facing similar budgetary concerns because of claims against the state's juvenile justice system. Facing a potentially enormous payout, lawmakers recently passed an amendment to limit future liabilities. The new law reduces caps on settlements from $890,000 to $400,000 for cases filed after May 31 against state institutions, and from $1.5 million to $700,000 for private institutions. It allows each claimant to receive only one payment, instead of being able to collect for each act of abuse. Suing in federal court allows plaintiffs to sidestep those limits. 'Despite Maryland's recent unconstitutional legislative efforts to insulate itself from liability for the horrific sexual brutalization of children in its custody, Maryland cannot run from liability under Federal law,' plaintiffs' attorney Corey Stern said in a statement. 'The United States Constitution was created for all of us, knowing that some would need protection from the tyranny of their political leaders.' The three plaintiffs in the federal case allege they were sexually abused by staff at two juvenile detention centers. While other lawsuits have mainly presented allegations of abuse occurring decades ago, the federal complaint focuses on events alleged to have happened in 2019 and 2020. The plaintiffs were 14 and 15 years old. The victims feared their sentences would be extended if they spoke out, according to the complaint. They accuse state officials of turning a blind eye to a 'culture of sexual brutalization and abuse.'
