Latest news with #Putrajaya
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Apex court to hear Orang Asli's appeal over desecration of ancestral graves
Rosli Jedut and six other Orang Asli are seeking compensation from Agrobest (M) Sdn Bhd and two employees for the alleged destruction of ancestral graves at Kampung Batu 20, Pekan, eight years ago. PUTRAJAYA : The Federal Court has agreed to hear an appeal by seven Orang Asli villagers from Pekan against a private firm on the alleged destruction of their ancestral graves for agriculture development. Rosli Jedut, Atan Baro, Melah Hamid, Awang Bako, Esah Wir, Kasim Awang, and Majib Kasim filed a lawsuit against Agrobest (M) Sdn Bhd and two employees, seeking compensation after the graves in Kampung Batu 20 were allegedly overrun by bulldozers eight years ago. They claimed the company and employees had disrespected their ancestors and culture. The Kuantan High Court ruled in 2023 that the company was liable for the wrongful act and awarded each of the plaintiffs RM20,000 as damages. However, the appeals court set aside the decision last year, ruling that the seven men lacked the legal standing to file the suit. It said they no longer had possession and control of the land. Lawyers Steven Thiru and Ananthan Moorthi told FMT that a panel of three apex court judges, led by Justice Nordin Hassan, had on Thursday granted the seven men leave to appeal in their bid to reinstate the High Court ruling. Also on the bench hearing the application were Justices Abu Jais Bakar and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera. 'The Federal Court held that important questions of law were raised concerning the rights of the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia, which required a full determination by the highest court,' they said. The questions of law touch on issues relating to locus standi, the extinguishment of rights, and duty of care. Lawyers Henry Ngok and Ng Si Hui appeared for the company and employees.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rafizi questions Cabinet's ‘reactionary' move to restructure 13th Malaysia Plan, says rushed changes undermine civil servants' work
PUTRAJAYA, June 27 – Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has expressed concern over the government's move to revise and restructure the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), warning that the last-minute decision could undermine public confidence in the national policy document. Responding to a statement by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Rafizi said he was worried that this is a knee-jerk reaction towards public brickbats towards Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. 'I worry that the government is being reactionary, merely in response to a few recent social media replies directed at Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil regarding 13MP. 'Some netizens discussed 13MP and replied to his comments, which appeared to downplay or erase my involvement in the preparation of the document,' he said in a statement here. Rafizi warned that the announcement to 'revise and restructure' 13MP has raised concern among civil servants, market analysts monitoring national policy, and the public at large. The Pandan MP noted that the 13MP was developed solely by civil servants, without the involvement of external consultants, in under a year – making it the fastest-prepared Malaysia Plan to date. With only two weeks remaining before the final draft is sent for printing, Rafizi questioned if the restructuring would be rushed and whether it would bypass the consultative process with stakeholders and experts. He also warned that politicising the 13MP would do a disservice to the thousands of civil servants who worked on it and could erode public trust in the final document. 'If that happens, it would be a grave injustice to those who have worked tirelessly — often for over 12 hours a day — over the past year,' he said. He stressed that the Malaysia Plan serves as a binding framework for national policies and programmes over five years, typically developed through a non-political and rigorous process. Rafizi explained that 13MP's preparation had involved a bottom-up approach through the Inter Agency Planning Group, Technical Working Groups, and engagement sessions with state governments, industry players, and MPs between September and December 2024. Simultaneously, a top-down approach was conducted by the Ministry of Economy and policy experts to develop structural reform proposals, which were deliberated with the Prime Minister and a Special Cabinet Committee from February to April this year. Earlier, Chief Secretary to the Government and Cabinet Secretary Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan has been tasked with carrying out the duties and functions of the Economy Minister with immediate effect — beginning with revising the 13MP for the July Parliamentary session. On May 28, Rafizi had announced his resignation from the post of economy minister, following a defeat for the deputy president post in the recent PKR party elections.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Imported mandarins and dates join apples and oranges in SST exemption, beauty services too
The government has revised its SST expansion plan to exempt imported mandarin oranges and dates, while essential goods like rice and local fish remain tax-free. The Service Tax registration threshold has been raised to RM1 million for selected sectors, easing compliance for small businesses. The proposed Service Tax on beauty and personal grooming services has been cancelled following public feedback. PUTRAJAYA, June 27 – The government has announced today that it has revised its Sales and Service Tax (SST) expansion plan following feedback from the public and businesses. In a statement, the Finance Ministry (MOF) said the three key amendments, which will take effect on July 1, aim to ease the financial burden on consumers and small businesses while maintaining a progressive tax structure. Imported mandarin oranges and dates will also now be exempted from SST, after Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced yesterday that apples and oranges will not be covered by the tax. The MOF stressed that essential goods such as rice, chicken, beef, vegetables, eggs, and local fish varieties like selar, tongkol, cencaru, and sardines would remain exempt from the Sales Tax. To support small businesses, the threshold for Service Tax registration has been raised from RM500,000 to RM1 million for leasing, rental, and fee- or commission-based financial services. This adjustment means only businesses with annual sales above RM1 million in these sectors will be required to register and pay Service Tax, providing relief to many Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The ministry also said it has decided to scrap the proposed Service Tax expansion on beauty services, including manicure and pedicure treatments, facials, barber services, and hairdressing. The MOF urged the public to refer to official communications for accurate information and not to spread misinformation about the SST revisions. Previously, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government was open to reviewing the implementation of the revised and expanded SST on several selected imported goods, including fruits such as apples and mandarin oranges. On June 9, the government announced a targeted SST review set to take effect from July 1, 2025. The sales tax rate will remain unchanged for essential goods, while a five or 10 per cent rate will be applied to non-essential or discretionary goods. The scope of service tax has also been expanded to cover six new categories: rental or leasing, construction, finance, private healthcare, education, and beauty.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Imported mandarin oranges, dates join apples and oranges in SST exemption; beauty services also no longer taxed
The government has revised its SST expansion plan to exempt imported mandarin oranges and dates, while essential goods like rice and local fish remain tax-free. The Service Tax registration threshold has been raised to RM1 million for selected sectors, easing compliance for small businesses. The proposed Service Tax on beauty and personal grooming services has been cancelled following public feedback. PUTRAJAYA, June 27 – The government has announced today that it has revised its Sales and Service Tax (SST) expansion plan following feedback from the public and businesses. In a statement, the Finance Ministry (MOF) said the three key amendments, which will take effect on July 1, aim to ease the financial burden on consumers and small businesses while maintaining a progressive tax structure. Imported mandarin oranges and dates will also now be exempted from SST, after Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced earlier this week that apples and oranges will not be covered by the tax. The MOF stressed that essential goods such as rice, chicken, beef, vegetables, eggs, and local fish varieties like selar, tongkol, cencaru, and sardines would remain exempt from the Sales Tax. To support small businesses, the threshold for Service Tax registration has been raised from RM500,000 to RM1 million for leasing, rental, and fee- or commission-based financial services. This adjustment means only businesses with annual sales above RM1 million in these sectors will be required to register and pay Service Tax, providing relief to many Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The ministry also said it has decided to scrap the proposed Service Tax expansion on beauty services, including manicure and pedicure treatments, facials, barber services, and hairdressing. The MOF urged the public to refer to official communications for accurate information and not to spread misinformation about the SST revisions. Further details, including legislation and FAQs, are available through the Finance Ministry and Royal Malaysian Customs Department's platforms.
CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
Malaysia's Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah to take over Economy Minister's duties after Rafizi resignation
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah Azizan will take on the duties and functions of the Economy Minister, a month after Rafizi Ramli resigned from the position following his defeat in a party election. The Cabinet made the decision in a meeting on Wednesday (Jun 25), said its secretary Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar in a statement on Friday. Amir Hamzah's 'primary responsibility' is to review and restructure the contents of the 13th Malaysia Plan, which is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on Jul 31, said Shamsul Azri, who is also chief secretary to the government. Amir Hamzah will take into account additional information submitted by other ministries, as well as the sentiments of the Cabinet, he said. The 13th Malaysia Plan is a roadmap to tackle global shifts and domestic challenges and is set to be implemented from 2026 to 2030. Responding on Friday to Shamsul Azri's statement, former Economy Minister Rafizi said the last-minute decision to restructure the plan has raised concern among civil servants, market analysts monitoring national policy and the public. He questioned if the restructuring would be rushed and whether it would bypass the consultative process with stakeholders and experts, news outlet Malay Mail reported. He said politicising the plan would be 'a grave injustice to (civil servants) who have worked tirelessly — often for over 12 hours a day — over the past year'. Rafizi had said when he resigned on May 28 that the plan had been completed. It emphasises "comprehensive educational reforms, including several structural changes involving the Ministry of Education", Rafizi had said. "I hope the Cabinet will maintain some of the bold reforms related to the Ministry of Education in (the plan), even though I will no longer be part of the Cabinet." Rafizi stepped down after he lost the post of deputy president in his political party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar on May 23. He remains with the PKR and as Member of Parliament for Pandan. Rafizi's ally, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, resigned on the same day as him but his replacement has not been announced. Amir Hamzah, who was appointed Second Finance Minister in December 2023, thanked Anwar in a statement and said he had received feedback from fellow ministers indicating the need to revise the 13th Malaysia Plan to better reflect the aims of the government and sustain the momentum of economic reforms. Amir Hamzah is a member of the Senate, which comprises senators chosen for excellence in their respective professions and who represent minorities in society. He was appointed by Malaysia's King. He was previously chief executive of the country's Employees Provident Fund, one of the world's largest pension funds.
