'Political payback in legal robes': Charles pans Ramasamy charges
A former lawmaker has described court charges against former Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy as 'political payback dressed in legal robes'.
Taking Putrajaya to task, ex-Klang MP Charles Santiago said leadership is about confronting uncomfortable truths, not muzzling them.
'The move to charge Ramasamy...
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Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
2% wealth tax would raise more than expanded SST, says ex-MP
Published on: Thursday, June 12, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jun 12, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Former Klang MP Charles Santiago argued that it is wrong to keep taxing consumption and not wealth, saying median wages barely keep up with inflation. PETALING JAYA: A 2% wealth tax would raise around 60% more than the RM5 billion in revenue the government hopes to obtain from its expansion of the sales and service tax (SST), says former Klang MP Charles Santiago. In a series of posts on X today, he commented on the assertion by deputy domestic trade and cost of living minister Fuziah Salleh that the government would become 'very unpopular' if it raised taxes on the top 10% of the nation's richest people and redistributed the wealth to the rest of the population. Advertisement 'Malaysia's richest 50 hold US$90 billion (RM380.3 billion) in wealth, as per @Forbes. Why tax bananas and oil before mega mansions?' he said. Speaking at the BBC World Questions debate on Tuesday, Fuziah said that while the distribution of wealth should be more equitable and efficient, the government had to tread carefully in doing so. 'We already hear some noises when we talk about targeted petrol subsidies that may exclude the T20. 'Even the 2% dividend (tax) met some resistance,' Malay Mail reported her as saying, in reference to the introduction of a dividend tax on annual dividend incomes exceeding RM100,000 under the 2025 budget. Last year, finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan said the expansion of the SST was expected to generate RM51.7 billion in revenue in 2025, an additional revenue of RM5 billion over the previous SST collection forecast of RM46.7 billion. However, Santiago insisted that the matter ultimately boiled down to perspective and priorities. 'If you own RM100 million, a 2% wealth tax is RM2 million. That's one less Ferrari. Or less than your annual interest. But RM2 million could fund 500,000 school meals. This is about priorities,' he said. He also argued that it was wrong to keep taxing consumption and not wealth, saying median wages 'barely keep up with inflation'. '@UnicefMY shows low-income families spend 38% of their income on food. Inequality doesn't just grow, it erodes nations. Time to rebalance,' he said. He suggested that the increased revenue could be used, for example, to install solar panels for low-cost housing. 'This cuts electricity bills, creates income, and feeds clean energy into the grid,' he said. * 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
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Youth faces attempted murder charge for using car to ram into a man
Klang sessions court judge sets bail at RM8,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to report to the nearest police station every month. PETALING JAYA : A youth has been charged with attempted murder over an incident in which he used his car to ram into another man last March. Cho Chik Fhong, 20, pleaded not guilty in the Klang sessions court today to the charge framed under Section 307 of the Penal Code. In the 2.40am incident at Bandar Botanik Klang on March 9, Cho was accused of ramming into Iskandar Samsudin with his Honda City knowing full well that it could have led to the latter's death. Iskandar, however, escaped with injuries. Judge Sharifah Hascindie Syed Omar set bail at RM8,000 with one surety. She also ordered Cho to report himself to the nearest police station every month and fixed Aug 15 for case management. Cho was represented by Royston Tan.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Colombia president hints at conspiracy after candidate shot
BOGOTÁ: Colombia's leftist leader claimed Monday that a gravely injured presidential candidate's security detail was 'strangely reduced' before he was shot, stoking suggestions of an elaborate plot. Conservative senator Miguel Uribe, 39, was shot twice in the head at close range by a 15-year-old alleged hitman while campaigning Saturday in Bogota. The brazen attack has stunned Colombians and prompted febrile speculation about who was responsible. Authorities allege the suspect was a hired gun, but admit they still have few clues about who hired him or their motive. The Glock pistol he is alleged to have used was purchased legally in the US state of Arizona in 2020, according to police chief Carlos Triana. With Uribe fighting for his life in the hospital, Petro did little Monday to lower the political temperature. The president took to social media to accuse some opponents of politicizing the tragedy. He also claimed that the number of bodyguards assigned to Uribe had been 'strangely reduced' from seven to three on the day of the attack, while calling for a full investigation. Petro said he himself was the subject of a bounty taken up by 'dark forces' and neo-nazis, and was the target of an 'extraction' plot pitched to Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad. Petro's opponents have accused the pugilistic left-wing leader of creating fertile ground for political violence. Petro has denied such allegations and joined politicians from across the political spectrum in denouncing the attack on Uribe. Explanations The head of Colombia's National Protection Unit, which is charged with protecting public figures, said three agents and four police officers protected Uribe on the day he was shot. Augusto Rodriguez admitted 'there were fewer people than there should have been' at the time of the attack because some had been working long hours the previous day. Lawmakers in Colombia usually have a detail of seven bodyguards and a motorcade of two armored cars, according to government officials. Rodriguez, a close confidant of Petro and fellow ex-M-19 guerrilla, insisted that a police officer was responsible for security coordination. Meanwhile a lawyer for Uribe lodged a criminal complaint against Rodriguez, stating there had been more than 20 requests to strengthen his client's security detail that had gone unheard.
