logo
SAPP slams 10pc SST on stationery, says it hurts students, low-income

SAPP slams 10pc SST on stationery, says it hurts students, low-income

Daily Express17-07-2025
Published on: Thursday, July 17, 2025
Published on: Thu, Jul 17, 2025 Text Size: Lau warned that maintaining the current course risks exacerbating Malaysia's cost-of-living crisis while undermining educational accessibility. SANDAKAN: The Federal Government's abrupt implementation of a 10pc Sales and Services Tax (SST) on stationery since July 1 defies logic, according to Vice President of the Sabah Progressive Democratic Party (SAPP) and Tanjong Papat Division Chief Thomas Lau Chi Keong. 'This is taxation without justification.'
Advertisement 'By taxing the tools of education and small business, we're penalizing Malaysia's future productivity while squeezing households that are already at breaking point,' he said. He said the policy's ripple effects are particularly severe for students facing higher costs for basic supplies, Small Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) operating on razor-thin margins and low-income families disproportionately impacted by price hikes. He noted that dissent has emerged from within government ranks, with Bagan Member of Parliament, Lim Guan Eng who also brother to Deputy Finance Minister, Lim Hui Ying, publicly breaking ranks to criticize the timing and implementation. 'When your own allies sound the alarm, it's time to pause and reconsider,' Lau said and urging policymakers to do something. He said there should be immediate impact assessments, engage in meaningful stakeholder consultation and explore progressive alternatives that don't burden vulnerable groups. Lau warned that maintaining the current course risks exacerbating Malaysia's cost-of-living crisis while undermining educational accessibility. * 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
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Malaysian Bar EGM dissolved due to lack of quorum
Malaysian Bar EGM dissolved due to lack of quorum

Daily Express

time8 minutes ago

  • Daily Express

Malaysian Bar EGM dissolved due to lack of quorum

Published on: Saturday, July 26, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 26, 2025 By: Minderjeet Kaur, FMT Text Size: KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) has been dissolved due to a lack of quorum, Bar Council president Ezri Abdul Wahab said. He said 500 members were needed to convene the EGM but only 309 members turned up. 'I am disappointed (that it has been dissolved) because for each EGM we have to spend money,' he said at a press conference at Menara Matrade here this morning. The EGM had been called for on July 1 to debate two key motions concerning judicial independence in the country. One, titled 'Judicial independence', was supposed to be tabled by Ezri. The second, 'Motion to hold the prime minister accountable for having allowed for the undermining of public confidence in the judiciary,' was to have been jointly proposed by lawyers Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Surendra Ananth, with support from four others. A third motion, 'Implementing a fair rate of minimum remuneration for pupils', put forward by lawyers Goh Cia Yee and Vince Tan, had garnered widespread support and was seconded by 190 lawyers. Ezri said the young lawyers had been expected to attend, especially for the tabling of the third motion. 'We felt the young lawyers wanted to speak up and that was why we organised the EGM,' he said. Among the lawyers who had turned up for the EGM was former attorney-general Tommy Thomas. Asked if the lack of quorum was due to a lack of trust in the Malaysian Bar, its vice-president Anand Raj said those who attended wanted to hear the debate. 'The majority of members had entrusted us with the motion at the AGM in March. That motion passed, and what has happened in the last few months reflects that,' he said. He was referring to the motion for the Bar to file a legal challenge against the Federal Territories Pardons Board over the decision to halve former prime minister Najib Razak's jail sentence for his SRC International corruption conviction. This is not the first time that the lack of a quorum had led to Bar meetings being called off. In 2023, the Bar's annual general meeting (AGM) was called off when only 276 lawyers turned up. A quorum of 500 was needed for the AGM to proceed. This led to lawyer-activist Siti Kasim lashing out at 'lazy' lawyers, saying that there were 9,000 members in Kuala Lumpur alone. There are 24,000 Bar members in Peninsula Malaysia. - FMT * 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

Thousands share non-consensual intimate photos on Telegram in China
Thousands share non-consensual intimate photos on Telegram in China

The Sun

time38 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Thousands share non-consensual intimate photos on Telegram in China

BEIJING: Thousands of men allegedly shared intimate photos and videos of their girlfriends without consent on Telegram, Chinese media reported, triggering widespread condemnation over privacy violations and demands for stronger protections for women. Pornography is illegal in China, yet conservative social attitudes towards women persist, often reinforced by state media and cultural norms. The issue gained attention after a Chinese university expelled a woman this month for 'damaging national dignity' over intimate videos posted by a Ukrainian esports player on Telegram. The state-owned Southern Daily revealed that a woman discovered private photos of herself, taken without her knowledge, circulating in a Telegram forum with over 100,000 members, predominantly Chinese men. Another report from the Guangming Daily, a Communist Party-backed outlet, stated that forum members also shared images of their girlfriends, ex-partners, and wives. Public outrage surged online, with one comment on Red Note, an Instagram-like platform, stating, 'We are not 'content' that can be randomly uploaded, viewed, and fantasised about.' A related hashtag on Weibo has been viewed more than 230 million times since Thursday. While the largest group, 'Mask Park,' has been shut down, smaller offshoots remain active, according to women interviewed by Southern Daily. Telegram, which encrypts messages and is banned in China but accessible via VPNs, stated that nonconsensual pornography violates its terms and is removed when detected. The case has drawn parallels to South Korea's 'Nth Room' scandal, where women were blackmailed into sharing explicit content. Chinese women have since shared personal experiences of being secretly filmed in public. Despite police crackdowns on illegal filming in recent years, feminist activism remains heavily restricted in China. Authorities have yet to announce any action against the Telegram group, but the Guangming Daily called for accountability and stronger legal protections. - AFP

No registration for RM100 cash aid, beware of scams, warns government
No registration for RM100 cash aid, beware of scams, warns government

Daily Express

timean hour ago

  • Daily Express

No registration for RM100 cash aid, beware of scams, warns government

Published on: Saturday, July 26, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 26, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Deputy finance minister Lim Hui Ying said the ministry has received complaints about fake links and messages claiming that registration is required to receive the cash aid. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: The government has urged the public to be cautious of scams and other fraud attempts over the one-off RM100 cash assistance under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA). Speaking at an event in George Town, Penang, today, deputy finance minister Lim Hui Ying said the assistance does not require any application or registration whatsoever, Bernama reported. She said the amount will be credited directly into the MyKad of all Malaysians aged 18 and above starting Aug 31. 'We have received numerous inquiries about how to register for the RM100 SARA assistance. There have also been complaints about fake links and messages claiming that registration is required to receive the aid. 'These claims are false and dangerous. Do not click on any such links, they are scams. 'I want to stress that there is no need to apply or register for the RM100 cash aid, as it will be automatically credited to the recipients' MyKad,' she said. Lim, who is the MP for Tanjung, reassured the public that there is no cause for concern as everyone aged 18 and above will receive the cash aid. 'Only if they do not receive it after Aug 31 will we take further action and inform them accordingly,' she said. On July 23, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced several major initiatives by the government, including the one-off RM100 cash aid, the postponement of toll rate hikes on 10 highways, and a drop in the price of RON95 fuel to RM1.99 per litre. Lim also said the government is open to considering the inclusion of wet goods such as chicken, meat and fish under SARA. 'We continue to listen to feedback and suggestions regarding the list of items under SARA. There have been proposals to include wet items such as fish, meat and chicken. We will consider expanding the list when the time is right,' she told reporters. She said the government expanded the SARA initiative on May 1 to include household cleaning products, such as laundry detergent, floor cleaner, and dishwashing liquid. These are in addition to the existing categories covering basic food items, medicines, school supplies, and personal hygiene products. Their inclusion increased the number of product categories from 13 to 14, covering 90,000 types of goods. This decision was based on feedback received during the implementation of SARA earlier this year, she 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

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store