Latest news with #Hee
Borneo Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Dapsy S'wak slams DUN seat expansion as power grab, not for people's benefit
Hee questions the rationale behind the seat expansion, pointing out the lack of public demand or clear justification. MIRI (July 11): The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak has criticised the recent move to expand the number of seats in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), describing it as a politically-driven exercise aimed at entrenching power rather than addressing the people's needs. Dapsy Sarawak chief Peter Hee called the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-led government's focus on redrawing political boundaries a misplaced priority, at a time when Sarawakians are grappling with rising living costs, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to quality education and healthcare. 'This is clearly a strategy to entrench power, not to uplift lives,' he said in a statement yesterday. The Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025, passed during a special assembly sitting on July 7, paves the way for an increase in the state constituencies from 82 to 99. The last redelineation in 2015 saw the creation of 11 new seats. Hee questioned the rationale behind the seat expansion, pointing out the lack of public demand or clear justification. 'Where is the transparency? Where are the consultations? How will these changes benefit rural communities rather than just strengthen the positions of political elites?' He cautioned that the move could worsen development gaps between urban and rural areas, stressing that the government should instead prioritise equitable distribution of resources, better education opportunities, and youth employment. 'What we urgently need is equitable distribution of public resources, quality education opportunities, and support for young people to secure jobs or start businesses, not more politicians to attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies,' he said. He urged Sarawakians to remain vigilant and push for full public engagement before any constituency redelineation is implemented. 'The government must present clear data and a solid rationale before even considering altering constituency lines. 'Otherwise, it's just another political game,' he added, noting that young Sarawakians wanted a system that prioritises public welfare over political considerations. 'The youth want a fair and transparent system – one that puts people first, not politics.' DAPSY DUN seats lead Peter Hee
Borneo Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Dapsy S'wak slams DUN seat expansion as power grab, not people's benefit
Hee questions the rationale behind the seat expansion, pointing out the lack of public demand or clear justification. MIRI (July 11): The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak has criticised the recent move to expand the number of seats in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), describing it as a politically-driven exercise aimed at entrenching power rather than addressing the people's needs. Dapsy Sarawak chief Peter Hee called the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-led government's focus on redrawing political boundaries a misplaced priority, at a time when Sarawakians are grappling with rising living costs, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to quality education and healthcare. 'This is clearly a strategy to entrench power, not to uplift lives,' he said in a statement yesterday. The Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Membership) Bill 2025, passed during a special assembly sitting on July 7, paves the way for an increase in the state constituencies from 82 to 99. The last redelineation in 2015 saw the creation of 11 new seats. Hee questioned the rationale behind the seat expansion, pointing out the lack of public demand or clear justification. 'Where is the transparency? Where are the consultations? How will these changes benefit rural communities rather than just strengthen the positions of political elites?' He cautioned that the move could worsen development gaps between urban and rural areas, stressing that the government should instead prioritise equitable distribution of resources, better education opportunities, and youth employment. 'What we urgently need is equitable distribution of public resources, quality education opportunities, and support for young people to secure jobs or start businesses, not more politicians to attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies,' he said. He urged Sarawakians to remain vigilant and push for full public engagement before any constituency redelineation is implemented. 'The government must present clear data and a solid rationale before even considering altering constituency lines. 'Otherwise, it's just another political game,' he added, noting that young Sarawakians wanted a system that prioritises public welfare over political considerations. 'The youth want a fair and transparent system – one that puts people first, not politics.' DAPSY DUN seats lead Peter Hee
Borneo Post
12-06-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Stagger SST rollout for SMEs, young entrepreneurs, Dapsy S'wak chief urges MOF
Hee says while Sarawak's youth are ready to contribute to national development, they 'need space to breathe, grow, and recover'. MIRI (June 12): The Ministry of Finance should apply a staggered rollout of the Sales and Service Tax (SST) expansion to allow time for young entrepreneurs and small businesses in Sarawak to adapt, said Peter Hee. The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak chief argued that unlike places like the Klang Valley, the state's business ecosystem is not tax-ready as many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) still rely on manual systems, especially in smaller towns and rural districts. 'As many businesses are yet to adopt digital invoicing or have access to accounting support, pushing them into a complex tax system overnight would be unfair and likely to cause non-compliance through confusion rather than intent. 'Tax reform must be fair – not just administratively efficient. If the government's intention is to increase revenue, it must not do so by pushing young and small entrepreneurs out of business,' he said in a statement. He said while Sarawak's youth are ready to contribute to national development, they 'need space to breathe, grow, and recover'. 'Let's not tax away their future before it begins,' he added. The Ministry of Finance has announced that the expansion of the SST effective this July 1, covering a wide range of services including private healthcare, education, financial services, construction, leasing, and personal care. According to Hee, the announcement has raised serious concern among youth entrepreneurs and small business owners in Sarawak. He said while Dapsy Sarawak supports responsible tax reform, it must be fair, inclusive, and sensitive to the realities on the ground, especially in Borneo. 'Sarawak's young entrepreneurs are showing remarkable initiative by venturing into business. Many are self-employed, running cafés, mobile salons, creative services, and online shops. 'However, they are already operating under pressure of rising electricity and rental costs; a weak ringgit affecting imports; as well as higher labour costs and compliance overheads, all while still in the process of post-pandemic recovery.' Hee believes that introducing a broader SST at this stage could be a tipping point as these small businesses would either have to raise prices – potentially losing customers – or absorb the cost and risk shutting down. Instead of targeting micro-enterprises, he said Putrajaya should focus on addressing tax avoidance by high-income individuals, corporate loopholes and monopolistic sectors that contribute less than their fair share to the government's coffers. 'It sends the wrong message when small local traders are taxed while mega-profits go untaxed.' He said Dapsy Sarawak is proposing the government exempt SMEs with under RM500,000 in annual revenue from the initial SST rollout; create a tax transition fund to support SMEs in system upgrades and tax literacy; and establish a youth enterprise relief scheme offering a three-year SST exemption for entrepreneurs under the age of 30. 'Sarawak should also be included in national tax policy conversations through an East Malaysia Tax Advisory Council,' he said. DAPSY Finance Ministry MoF Peter Hee SST
Malaysiakini
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Sarawak DAP Youth chides Miri City Council over MyKiosk 'failure'
Sarawak DAP Youth has condemned the Miri City Council (MCC) over allegedly failing to execute the government's MyKiosk project, which aims to modernise roadside hawker businesses. Its chief Peter Hee reportedly accused MCC of allowing the project - which began in 2022 and saw 10 kiosks constructed across Miri - to go to waste, with many kiosks abandoned and deteriorating. According to Borneo Post, Hee blamed the local authority for...
Malaysiakini
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Sarawak DAP Youth chides Miri City Council over MyKiosk 'failure'
Sarawak DAP Youth has condemned the Miri City Council (MCC) over allegedly failing to execute the government's MyKiosk project, which aims to modernise roadside hawker businesses. Its chief Peter Hee reportedly accused MCC of allowing the project - which began in 2022 and saw 10 kiosks constructed across Miri - to go to waste, with many kiosks abandoned and deteriorating. According to Borneo Post, Hee blamed the local authority for...
