Monday 20 May 2013

EXEMPT SABAH SARAWAK FROM GST






KOTA KINABALU : “The people of Sabah and Sarawak should be exempted from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that appears imminently to be implemented by the BN Federal government at any time,” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, in a press statement released yesterday.

Foremost, the PM need to practise what he says and start implementing his transparency programs by stop 'testing the people' by using mouthpieces for feedbacks on the intended GST implementation.  

The BN government should stop beating round the bush and just plainly say that it needs to raise another RM27 billion from GST, which is the equivalent to about RM1,000 per person per year, to cover the ballooning national debt which have been increased partly by the various Santa Clause programs to fish for votes in the recent general elections.

The BN government should not treat the people as fools anymore.   People can understand the need to increase revenue to cover the national debt but whether the need to tax and burden the people is another matter all together.  

The government should pay attention to reduction of economic leakages and to wipe out corruption which is probably the biggest cause for any unjustified increase in the national debt.

As for the GST itself, the federal government should exempt Sabah and Sarawak from its implementation.    The GST will burden Sabahans and Sarawakians who are already poor.

Sabah and Sarawak are more than justified in being exempted from the GST implementation.

Firstly, Sabah and Sarawak, both with riches and wealth have been robbed and are now suffering from being made the two poorest states in Malaysia.  

In 2012, RM17.88 billion in oil revenue were siphoned by Petronas from Sabah and another RM35 billion from Sarawak. Sabah lost another RM24 billion in federal taxes and revenues collected from the state.

Secondly, the crippling cabotage policy is not only increasing the living costs of Sabahans but is stifling Sabah’s economy and making Sabah an uncompetitive investment destination.  Thus, depriving our youths of further job opportunities.

If the PM is serious with his “Rakyat DiDahulukan” slogan, the PM should immediately abolish the cabotage policy.  There is no two way with it. Yet, the federal and state governments are deaf to the pleas of the people to have the cabotage policy abolished.

Thirdly, rural Sabahans and Sarawakians have low household incomes and this is even made worse by the federal government’s minimum salary level which has fixed a lower minimum of RM900 for Sabah and Sarawak and discriminates against them compared to West Malaysians with a threshold level of RM1,000.

Last but not least, instead of imposing the GST on Sabah and Sarawak, the PM should stop the marginalization of Sabahans and Sarawakians and implement programs in both states to increase the income levels and improve their livelihoods, consistent with his “Rakyat DiDahulukan” slogan.

If the PM fails to exempt Sabah and Sarawak from the GST implementation, he should be wary of the consequences of being the last Umno Prime Minister.

The people in Sabah and Sarawak have awoken to the concept of Sabah and Sarawak being the kingmakers and can topple the BN federal government at any time.   This “kingmaker” role and leverage can be seen in the increased composition of Sabah and Sarawak lawmakers in the new Cabinet and demands for more.

“I will personally be meeting further with Sabah and Sarawak leaders and work on bringing this kingmaker role to the next level.   We need to work towards the restoration of our rights and autonomy if it means toppling the current BN regime” concluded Dr. Jeffrey.

73 comments:

  1. SOON after they took their oath of office, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak gave his ministers a two-hour pep talk where he outlined his and the people's expectations of how the country should be governed.

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  2. Faced with a divided electorate and a raucous opposition that refuses to concede defeat, Najib will have his hands full as he sets the unity and transformation agenda for his cabinet team.

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  3. Following the prolonged politicking and unofficial campaign period that lasted for months before the May 5 general election, ordinary Malaysians are more than eager to see the government get down to business soon.

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  4. For one, Najib should leverage on his new team to forge ahead with the national transformation plans and ensure that they do not lose the momentum built over the last four years.

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  5. The government should ensure that economic growth remains strong and sustainable, driven by the Economic Transformation Programme as it takes the nation to high income, developed economy status by 2020.

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    1. Perkembangan harus berada di landasan yang positif.

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  6. That means economic planners, led by Maybank chief-turned-minister Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, and Pemandu chief Datuk Seri Idris Jala, cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal, or roll back on some of the economic reforms, such as cutting burdensome subsidies.

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  7. There are many things that have been on the drawing board for some time that should be given due attention now. These include the long-delayed goods and services tax (GST) and the much-awaited national automotive plan.

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    Replies
    1. Kerajaan sudah tiada duit.

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    2. Hutang negara semakin banyak, rasuah semakin tidak terkawal.

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  8. Najib, who retained the Finance Ministry portfolio, will also need to rein in the fiscal deficit by raising tax and non-tax revenues and put in place prudent financial management.

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  9. Bread-and-butter issues, such as affordable housing, public transport, rural infrastructure, street crime, Selangor water supply and other pressing urban issues also deserve some attention.

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  10. In short, the BN government must work harder in dealing with issues facing urban voters, who by and large, deserted the coalition. One issue that has plagued previous BN administrations is corruption and public integrity.

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  11. The inclusion of Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan, president of Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M), as minister in the Prime Minister's Department tasked with fighting corruption, is the clearest signal yet that Najib is committed to tackling corruption at its roots.

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  12. Idris, who heads Pemandu, has done some commendable work in fighting corruption as part of the Government Transformation Programme. Low will ensure that this anti-corruption battle is given an added impetus.

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    1. Badan anti-rasuah tidak melaksanakan tanggung jawabnya? Kenapa masih banyak rasuahan?

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  13. Low and his team should come up with a clear plan of action within the next few months on how he proposes to reduce or deter incidences of corruption within the public and private sectors.

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  14. As TI-M president, he has made fighting corruption a bigger agenda for the nation. It was through his efforts that TI-M's Integrity Pledge was pushed in the run-up to GE13 -- a pledge which Najib committed his government and party.

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    1. Anti rasuah. Rasuah negara semakin besar dan harus dipantau dan diambil tindakan wajar untuk selesaikannya.

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  15. "My main role will be to help continue the transformation towards a clean government," Low said of his new job. Corruption, if it gets out of hand, will destroy public faith and trust in the government and private sectors and add to the cost of doing business.

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  16. Since assuming office in 2009, Najib has strengthened the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), focused on government transparency and accountability and hauled up a number of powerful people to court.

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  17. GST Malaysia menjadi ketakutan rakyat malaysia terutamanya pengguna Internet apabila yang mula menyebarkan kononnya GST sudah mula dilaksanakan. Sudah dilaksanakan?iya ka?? jangan agak-agak saja.

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    1. Kerajaan akan buat pengumuman sah, jangan risau.

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  18. With the recent general election serving as a wake-up call for BN, the stakes are high if the coalition does not deliver on the people's mandate before the next election.

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    Replies
    1. BN menghadapi cabaran yang gait, rakyat juga berani membuat perubahan.

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  19. The new cabinet will have to prove that it has the ability to deliver and address the "trust deficit" with the people by restoring voter confidence in the government.

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  20. Paling mudah untuk difahami atau diketahui samada nak tahu GST yang menjadi ketakutan rakyat Malaysia sekarang ialah pelaksanaan GST Malaysia perlu di bawah ke Parlimen terlebih dahulu. Di bawa ke parlimen pun belum, bagaimana mungkin mahu dilaksanakan GST Malaysia sekarang. Negara kita masih ada undang-undang.

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  21. They should be result-oriented, cut down on pomp and ceremony and unnecessary publicity as the people want to see BN deliver on its election pledges. With voters becoming more demanding, ministers must continue to show political courage to do the right thing.

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  22. "There is no magic pill to redeem our credibility in just one day. But if we are sincere in the transformation and keep our promises, I believe the voters will eventually come to our side," the newly minted Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.

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  23. Sebenarnya, masih ramai lagi yang salah faham, keliru dan tidak tahu membezakan di antara Goverment Service Tax (GST) VS Goods and Services Tax (GST)

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  24. Goverment Service Tax sebanyak 6% memang normal daripada dahulu sudah wujud, tidak silap sejak tahun 2011 lagi di mana ketika itu dikenakan caj sekitar 5% sebelum dinaikkan kepada 6% seperti yang dikenakan kepada anda sekarang.

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  25. Goods and Services Tax pula masih belum dilaksanakan dan jikalau dilaksanakan pun kelak, had caj yang dibenarkan adalah sebanyak 4% untuk dikenakan untuk setiap pembelian.

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  26. pengenalan GST maka Goverment Sales Tax (Cukai jualan) sebanyak 6% & Service Tax (Cukai perkhidmatan) 10% dijangka akan dihapuskan kelak

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  27. Ini bermakna cukai yang akan dikenakan untuk setiap perbelanjaan & pembelian adalah hanya GST 4%.

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  28. GST adalah ‘Goods and Services Tax’ atau cukai barangan dan perkhidmatan. Selama ini kita rakyat Malaysia membayar SST iaitu ‘Sales tax and Service tax’ atau cukai jualan dan cukai perkhidmatan. SST kebiasaannya dikenakan ke atas bil telekomunikasi internet, ASTRO, tiket wayang, tiket parking, barangan di supermarket, KFC, McD, Pizza pada kadar 6% untuk cukai perkhidmatan (service tax) dan 10% untuk cukai jualan (sales tax)

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  29. Sekali lagi, GST belum dilaksanakan lagi. GST kalau nak dilaksanakan memerlukan masa sekurang-kurangnya 1 tahun kerana memerlukan persediaan daripada pelbagai pihak kedai runcit dan lain lain lagi dan GST yang dicadangkan adalah pada kadar 4% yang mana tidak melibatkan keperluan harian garam gula sabun & lain-lain.

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  30. Jangan cepat termakan hasutan pembangkang yang menjadi GST isu atau modal publisiti.

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  31. Should be exempted, period.

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  32. Sabah-based East West One Consortium Bhd (EWOC), expects the take-up rate for its East West One Planter's Scheme (EWOPS), to hit 75 per cent by year-end, said Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Jessie Tang.

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  33. 40 per cent of the oil palm oil investment scheme, has been sold to local and foreign investors.

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  34. Our 4,452-hectare plantation which is strategically located in the west coast of Sabah, utilises advanced resources such as machinery, high quality seeds, efficient contractors and reputable suppliers.

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  35. EWOPS is a short-term investment scheme which differs from other competing grower schemes in the country.

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  36. The scheme's dividend payout is made on a quarterly basis and not dependent on the crude palm oil price, which is a pre-requisite for dividend payouts in most oil palm investment schemes.

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  37. There are 16,588 planters blocks with guaranteed returns of up to 10 per cent per annum, made available for investors under four categories, that is, Premier, priced at RM58,880 per block, Gold (RM28,880), Silver (RM10,000) and Bronze (RM5,000).

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  38. Sabah's yield is also among the highest in the country with plantations there producing more than 22 metric tonnes of fresh fruit bunches per hectare annually, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.

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  39. The EWOPS planting progress has been ahead of our company's projections with more than 1,500 hectares been planted so far.

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  40. Rakyat di negara ini wajar bersyukur berikutan menikmati bantuan melalui pelbagai program bantuan yang disediakan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN).


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    Replies
    1. Bantuan kerajaan harus dikawal, sebab ini akan menyebabkan rakyat semakin bergantung kepada kerajaan dan tidak usaha sendiri.

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  41. Menteri Kebajikan, Wanita dan Pembangunan Keluarga Datuk Fatimah Abdullah berkata banyak yang kita nikmati sejak negara mencapai kemerdekaan terutama di Sarawak dan dalam tempoh empat tahun Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak menjadi Perdana Menteri.

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  42. “Antaranya adalah bantuan keperluan asas seperti minyak, gula, tepung, beras dan beberapa barang lagi dikawal harganya berbanding di beberapa negara luar yang harganya jauh lebih tinggi.

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  43. Di Malaysia barang diberi subsidi melalui penyeragaman harga oleh Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan (KPDNKK),” katanya


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  44. Katanya bantuan-bantuan yang diberikan antaranya ialah Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) yang dalam manifesto BN akan dinaikkan daripada RM500 sedia ada kepada RM1,200.

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  45. “Ini memperlihatkan tidak ada kerajaan lain di dunia kecuali kerajaan BN yang dipimpin oleh orang yang berpengalaman memberikan bantuan seumpamanya hasil daripada peningkatan ekonomi negara,” katanya.

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  46. Fatimah berkata BR1M, skim baucar bantuan awal dan Kebajikan Rakyat 1Malaysia (KAR1SMA) diberikan kepada ibu tunggal, kanak-kanak serta bantuan untuk warga emas RM300 sebulan yang berumur 60 tahun adalah sebahagian daripadanya.


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  47. “Bantuan ini adalah supaya warga emas dapat menikmati hidup sihat dan produktif untuk menyumbang pemikiran mereka kepada masyarakat termasuk bantuan orang kurang upaya (OKU) sebanyak RM150 dan RM300,” jelasnya.


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  48. Beliau berkata semua ini merupakan contoh bagaimana kerajaan memberi bantuan kepada orang susah melalui Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) dan agensi-agensi lain.

    Katanya program membasmi kemiskinan 1AZAM misalnya membantu kira-kira 7,000 orang pada 2011 dan 7,400 orang lagi pada 2012 dengan mereka yang mendaftar di bawah e-Kasih seramai 88,000 orang.


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  49. Melihat kepada semua bantuan yang diberikan itu, beliau berkata: “Inilah masanya untuk rakyat membuat pilihan mengenai kerajaan yang baik untuk rakyat serta yang sentiasa melakukan penambahbaikan.”

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    Replies
    1. Rakyat jelas apa yang terbaik untuk mereka.

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  50. kerajaan perlu membuat kajian menyeluruh sama ada rakyat sudah bersedia untuk pelaksanaan GST ini

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  51. jika tidak, melaksanakan GST di negara ini hanya akan membawa isu kepada rakyat jika mereka tidak bersedia untuk ini

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  52. seperti kata Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, "Kami mahu semua orang menjadi biasa dengannya. Setelah semua orang okay, barulah kita akan melaksanakannya ..."

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  53. As for the GST itself, the federal government should exempt Sabah and Sarawak from its implementation. The GST will burden Sabahans and Sarawakians who are already poor.

    betul, kalau boleh seluruh Malaysia

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  54. Secondly, the crippling cabotage policy is not only increasing the living costs of Sabahans but is stifling Sabah’s economy and making Sabah an uncompetitive investment destination. Thus, depriving our youths of further job opportunities.

    memang tidak dapat dinafikan..

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  55. Malaysia akan dapat meraih pendapatan tambahan sehingga RM27 bilion jika
    cukai barangan dan perkhidmatan (GST) yang dicadangkan dilaksanakan
    pada tujuh peratus, sama dengan negara jiran Singapura.

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  56. Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Idris Jala berkata
    mekanisme cukai yang baru boleh menjamin pendapatan tambahan sebanyak
    RM20 bilion kepada RM27 bilion, pada tempoh matang.

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  57. Pada tempoh matang, apabila, setiap rakyat Malaysia mula menyumbang
    kepada GST. Ia mesti dilaksanakan secepat mungkin apabila rakyat
    Malaysia bersedia untuk menerima mekanisme tersebut," katanya.

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  58. Idris Jala berkata pendidikan atau penerangan mengenai apa itu GST dan
    bagaimana ia memberi manfaat kepada ekonomi negara adalah sangat
    penting, bagi membolehkan rakyat Malaysia untuk memahami dan menerima
    mekanisme cukai serta maju kehadapan..

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  59. Beliau juga berkata GST akan menyediakan dana tambahan bagi kerajaan
    untuk berbelanja pada kesejahteraan rakyat Malaysia, menurut apa yang
    telah dijanjikan dalam manifesto Barisan Nasional, sebelum Pilihan Raya
    Umum ke-13.

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  60. Pada dasarnya, GST akan dikenakan ke atas semua jenis barang dan
    perkhidmatan yang dikeluarkan dalam negara termasuk yang diimport.

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  61. Walaupun begitu, beberapa makanan asas seperti beras, gula, tepung,
    minyak masak, sayuran, ikan dan daging ternakan, telur dan kemudahan
    perkhidmatan asas seperti kesihatan dan pendidikan swasta, pengangkutan
    awam, rumah kediaman dan tanah pertanian adalah tidak dikenakan GST.

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  62. Pengecualian ini adalah bertujuan untuk memastikan golongan berpendapatan rendah tidak dibebankan dengan GST

    ReplyDelete