Budget 2012: New Tax Laws Encroaches Human Rights
I am not sure what Najib means by saying the Budget 2012 ‘..will boost transformation efforts...” (http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=621058) but it appears that smoke bombs in the 2012 Budget are hiding certain new sections in the Income Tax Act which encroaches human rights and spooks investors if they find out about it.
The economics of 1Malaysia Menu
The recently tabled 2012 budget, the BN one that is, looks too optimistic in its revenue forecast while total expenditure seems unchecked and I struggle to detect significant return or value for money expended.
1 of the flagship gimmick is the 1Malaysia menu.
For RM3.00, you can get rice, taugeh, chicken wings, beef or mutton?
2012 budget: Not transformative but a desperate vote buying bid with tax payers’ money
A transformative buget?
Najib administration’s 2012 budgeted expenditure totaled RM230.8 billion with operating and development components at RM181.6billion (78%) and RM49.2 billion (22%) respectively.
It is bandied as a budget for next phase of development and transformative in nature but I can’t see how transformative this budget can be when the bulk of allocation is not meant for development but just keeping the existing machinery moving. A damning indicator is that salaries and allowances for our bloated civil servants are budgeted at RM52billion, much greater than development expenditure and more than double the total amount of personnel income tax collected at RM21billion.
Instead I see plenty of handouts for vote buying but no clear indication of how this budget is going to be financed. Revenue for 2012 is budgeted to increase up to RM186.9 billion, up tremendously from RM159.6 billion in 2010, with steep increases from petroleum income and company taxes.
Instead I see plenty of handouts for vote buying but no clear indication of how this budget is going to be financed. Revenue for 2012 is budgeted to increase up to RM186.9 billion, up tremendously from RM159.6 billion in 2010, with steep increases from petroleum income and company taxes.
There is only 1 Najib
A strong indication that the GE is upon us is the sight of Najib waging a one man war/charm offensive all over Malaysia. From appearing on radio talk shows to walk abouts with handouts, no other prime minister in the world has ever gone on such wide range of window dressing. He has even taken over the job of press officers of major corporations as he announces all those major investments by priivate companies.
A wonderful collection of self praise (probaly tax payer funded as well) refers:
However, democracy is not about one person. Parliament is about different voices being presented, debated and rationalized. As Sir Alex Ferguson demonstrated time and again, no one person is above the team.
The Najib here, there and everywhere phenomenon revealed a serious short coming of BN coalition – that it is a one man's charming autocracy. If everything is about Najib, then what does other BN MPs and ADUNs represent in their respective area? Is it a case that without Najib, they can’t do anything? Is it also a case of “I hear what people in my constituency say, but all rest with the prime minister" ? Google gives Malaysia a miss
"Google is establishing a stronger international presence with the purchase of land for data centers in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Ireland..." SearchEngineWatch, 3rd October, 2011.
The same news release mentions that Google chooses Ireland to capitalize on its cool weather to minimize energy costs. My guess on Google opening data centres in Hong Kong and Singapore is the ease of doing business in those countries. Singapore already ranks as the world's number one in terms business friendliness for five consecutive years. Hong Kong comes in at second place. Both countries have almost similar business cultures but on the socio-political end, Singapore is managed on a socialist model while Hong Kong, a mixture-model of socialist and capitalist.
The same news release mentions that Google chooses Ireland to capitalize on its cool weather to minimize energy costs. My guess on Google opening data centres in Hong Kong and Singapore is the ease of doing business in those countries. Singapore already ranks as the world's number one in terms business friendliness for five consecutive years. Hong Kong comes in at second place. Both countries have almost similar business cultures but on the socio-political end, Singapore is managed on a socialist model while Hong Kong, a mixture-model of socialist and capitalist.
It's hard for me to say I'm sorry
Perhaps UMNO and BN think getting Lim Guan Eng to apologise represent a major coup. If UMNO BN thinks this represent a significant political triumph and would swing loads of votes from Pakatan, I am not fully convinced. If all politicians have to apologise for all private statement and personal opinion, then they would have no time to service the rakyat properly.
Do we not all have public and private opinion that differs? Do we not bitch behind clients/bosses/colleagues/spouse/relatives? If a Singaporean got robbed in Malaysia and bitched about it in Stomp, can UMNO BN be consistent enough to chase the Ah Beng down and demand an apology? If UMNO BN thinks Voyeurism politics is the way to go, then let’s make that an official election manifesto for voters to identify with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)