
Discounted monthly parking in KL
Kuchai Entrepreneur Park residents used to receive up to three summonses a day for parking in front of their units. — Filepic
KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is running a trial for its monthly parking pass, specially designed for mixed-development areas, in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park.
Seputeh People's Representative Council Zone 6 chairman Alvin T. Ariaratnam told StarMetro that residents were being offered a parking pass priced at RM70, which was a substantial discount compared to the original RM140 pass designated for suburban areas with activities.
'However, holders can only use the RM70 pass within Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park,' he said, adding that the trial project started on June 24.
DBKL executive director (management) Nor Azlina Mohd Saad told StarMetro earlier that the price was agreed by both City Hall and Seputeh MP's office.
She also said the trial would run for at least two weeks and a post-mortem would be conducted after the trial period.
'If the trial is successful, we will expand the initiative to other areas in Kuala Lumpur,' she said during a town hall session for DBKL's 2026 budget at Institut Latihan DBKL.
She added that each residential unit could apply for only one pass.
Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park is a mixed development area, parts of which have commercial units on the lower floors and residential units on the upper floors.
In StarMetro's March 4 article 'Residents decry frequent summonses in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park', residents were unhappy with DBKL issuing them parking summonses up to three times a day for parking outside the shophouses where they live.
Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park Residents' Association advisor Banie Chin was reported as saying that the over 3,500 residents should be allowed to enjoy some parking fee exemptions.
He had suggested that DBKL provided stickers for residents' vehicles so that enforcement personnel could refrain from issuing them summonses.
'DBKL could also consider establishing designated parking spots for residents.
'If this is not feasible, DBKL could consider reducing the rates for hourly parking and monthly parking pass,' he said.
Currently, the hourly parking rate in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park is RM1 per hour.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malaysian Reserve
2 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
Deregistration confusion, poor communication add to SST rollout burden
by AUFA MARDHIAH THE government's last-minute revision to the Sales and Service Tax (SST) framework has triggered confusion and legal uncertainty among businesses, especially those already registered but now exempt under the new threshold and service category exemptions. Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) council member Dr Veerinderjeet Singh (picture) said while the government should be commended for responding to industry feedback, the piecemeal approach has caused operational friction — particularly for smaller firms scrambling to understand their obligations. 'One of the biggest problems with SST is that it causes cascading tax unless exemptions are properly designed. Unlike GST, there's no input-output credit mechanism,' he told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR). He said the government has been receptive and is making changes to the SST policy as problems come up. While it did consult some groups and gave certain exemptions, not all industries were fully considered at first. Veerinderjeet said the government has been receptive and is adjusting the policy as issues are raised, but not all industries were considered in full during the initial rollout. As businesses began highlighting gaps, authorities introduced changes — including raising the registration threshold from RM500,000 to RM1 million and granting exemptions for certain services. This responsiveness reflects the government's MADANI approach to policy-making, he said, but the frequency of revisions has left many unsure of how or whether the new rules apply to them. 'Technically, if you're registered, you must start collecting SST on July 1 — even if you're now below the threshold. But Customs is saying you can apply to deregister. 'The problem is, businesses are hearing that deregistration will only be approved after audits and no one knows how long that will take,' he said. Veerinderjeet urged the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) to provide clear, written guidance to resolve legal uncertainties. He also warned that the wider issue lies in implementation gaps. While the Cabinet makes political decisions to ease the tax burden, enforcement agencies are often left scrambling with limited time to respond. Furthermore, he said SST, while politically preferable to GST, is structurally more complex and harder to implement due to its lack of cross-claimable tax credit. 'SST isn't impossible to manage, but you must map out the supply chain and provide time for adjustment. Otherwise, you get confusion, especially among small businesses,' he said. Despite this, Veerinderjeet encouraged businesses with turnover below RM1 million to act confidently if they have proof they do not fall under the SST scope. He also called for long-term improvements in inter-agency coordination and communications, noting that frequent changes without clear instructions risk eroding public confidence. The government's decision to revise the SST framework just days before implementation followed weeks of public and industry backlash over the expanded tax scope announced in early June. Under the original plan, SST coverage was extended to include six new service categories: Leasing, financial services, construction, education, private healthcare and grooming services. Certain goods previously exempted were also made taxable at 5% or 10%, while the service tax rate was raised from 6% to 8% for most sectors. On June 27, the Finance Ministry (MOF) reversed several aspects of the expansion. Exemptions were granted for imported fruits such as apples, oranges, mandarin oranges and dates; grooming services like haircuts and facials were removed from scope; and the registration threshold for selected services was increased to RM1 million. While these changes were welcomed, they also opened the door to confusion. Businesses that had already registered for SST based on the initial requirements must now re-evaluate their status and apply for deregistration — a process that remains unclear and time-consuming. Veerinderjeet said these implementation gaps partly stem from a top-down policymaking process, where Cabinet-level decisions are made with limited lead time for enforcement agencies to act. 'The best course of action is always to analyse, consult widely, study supply chains, assess impact, then implement. Don't keep changing your mind. Otherwise, it creates lots of issues for businesses,' he added. Meanwhile, Akademi Profesor Malaysia's chairman Prof Emeritus Dr Jamal Othman said the sudden reversals reflect a lack of public input at the policy design stage. 'If policy issues affecting small or micro businesses were not fully deliberated at the outset, perhaps due to the lack of public inputs or stakeholder engagement, but its adverse impacts were only realised at a later stage, I think it would be better to consider a review or even a reversal, rather than to continue with such policies that might be harmful to society at large,' he told TMR. Jamal added that while reversals may sometimes be warranted, they should not come at the expense of macroeconomic confidence. 'Certainly it would create public uncertainties, anxieties, as well as investor trust in the government in the longer run. 'The public may perceive that in the course of policy formulation, certain crucial steps or evidence affecting the public and stakeholders may have been overlooked or bypassed by policymakers,' he added. He also stressed the need for stronger coordination between fiscal policymakers and implementing agencies. 'The bottom line is the importance of having a thorough and inclusive policy-making mechanism which involves the major stakeholders, including the various implementing agencies. No stones should be left unturned.' For context, the SST expansion forms part of the federal government's Budget 2025 revenue plan. Any delay would affect this year's fiscal deficit targets, which depend in part on increased indirect tax collections. Although the MOF has said no penalties will be imposed during the transition period, many businesses remain cautious amid unclear messaging, fearing unintended non-compliance.


New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
E-invoicing Phase 3 begins for businesses earning RM5mil–RM25mil
CYBERJAYA: The Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRB) is accelerating its digital tax compliance drive with the rollout of Phase 3 of e-invoicing today, a move set to impact around 55,000 businesses earning between RM5 million and RM25 million annually. IRB Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Tax Operations) Shaharrudy Othman said the agency is committed to providing continuous support to taxpayers, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), through various promotional and educational programmes. "IRB is actively stepping up efforts to educate and raise awareness among target groups to ensure that the e-Invoice implementation is comprehensive and effective," he said at the launch ceremony and media conference on the implementation of e-Invoice for Phase 3 held here today. Shaharrudy said a total of 352 million e-invoices have been submitted via the MyInvois system to date. "This involves over 37,800 taxpayers, including about 5,400 taxpayers from Phase 1 and more than 13,000 taxpayers from Phase 2. "Furthermore, over 19,000 taxpayers have voluntarily adopted e-invoicing ahead of their scheduled implementation dates," he said. Last month, IRB announced that Phase 4 of the e-invoice implementation for taxpayers with annual income or sales between RM1 million and RM5 million has been postponed to Jan 1, 2026. Phase 5, involving the income group of up to RM1 million, will commence on July 1, 2026. Meanwhile, taxpayers with an annual income or sales below RM500,000 are exempted from the initiative. Shaharrudy added that the grace period for the implementation of e-invoicing for Phase 2, involving businesses with an annual revenue between RM25 million and RM100 million, had ended on June 3, and taxpayers must now fully comply with the guidelines. "To ensure ongoing support for MSMEs who are starting their e-invoicing implementation from today, IRB has increased the number of briefing sessions and expanded the use of the MyInvois Portal nationwide. "IRB has also created a dedicated e-invoicing microsite on the agency's official portal and is using various communication channels to disseminate relevant information," he said. Shaharrudy said the agency will continue to enhance communication across businesses, tax practitioners, professional bodies and stakeholders to raise awareness and improve their understanding of the benefits of e-invoicing implementation. "To facilitate a smooth implementation, we have also set up dedicated service counters nationwide to assist taxpayers in understanding the use of the MyInvois Portal, MyInvois application and the free-to-use MyInvois e-Pos system," he said. IRB also launched the MyInvois e-Pos system, which is designed for MSMEs with annual income or sales of under RM750,000. Shaharrudy said the system simplifies the implementation of e-invoicing by integrating core business functions such as sales recording, inventory management, financial reporting and e-invoice support. He added that the system also aims to help MSMEs enhance business operational efficiency while facilitating the smooth implementation of e-invoicing.


The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Tribunal rejects Singaporean's tax refund claim due to jurisdiction issue
Lim says the claimant had written a negative review of the company which was later picked up by a digital media portal. A SINGAPOREAN had his claim against an electrical appliances outlet dismissed by the Johor Consumer Claims Tribunal. Claimant SB Koo had demanded the respondent refund customs tax paid by him, claiming the respondent had cheated him. Respondent Izonic Electrical Sdn Bhd director Lim Chee Khoon said the company was willing to meet with Koo. 'We are willing to meet him to resolve the matter, but he refused,' Lim said outside the Johor Consumer Claims Tribunal at Menara Ansar, Johor Baru. Lim said the claimant wrote a negative review of the company and this was picked up by a digital media portal on the island republic. The respondent said the portal ran the story with the heading 'Singaporean man allegedly asked to pay S$268 for 'customs tax' after buying RM1,400 water filter in JB'. Lim said the portal published the story on Feb 2 after the claimant made the purchase of the electrical items on Jan 17. Lim, 37, said Koo, 61, went to the mall in Taman Abad, Johor Baru, with his wife. The couple decided to buy home electrical appliances on display at the outlet. The items were a water filter, Thermos pot, induction cooker, stainless-steel wok and a set of four ceramic bowls, totalling RM4,588. 'They were given a RM50 voucher which brought the bill down to RM4,538,' Lim said, adding that the claimant paid using a debit card. Lim then sent the couple home to their Housing Development Board flat by car on Jan 17. Lim claimed that he paid S$268 (RM888) in taxes on Koo's behalf at the Causeway and was later reimbursed. Lim also made an appointment to instal the water filter on Jan 18, which the claimant agreed to. 'The claimant called our Singaporean representative on Jan 18 to inform him that he was busy and not at home,' said the respondent. Lim said the representative called Koo many times to fix another appointment date but his calls went unanswered. During the hearing, Tribunal president Hafez Zalkapli reminded both parties any decision made by the Tribunal could not be challenged. Hafez dismissed Koo's claim, explaining that it was not the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to hear cases related to tax disputes as the case should be filed with the small claims court. A small claims court is a specialised court handling civil disputes involving relatively small amounts of money, offering a faster and more affordable alternative to traditional litigation. Those needing Tribunal assistance can call 07-227 1755 or 07-227 1766, or visit the Johor Consumer Claims Tribunal at Level 17, Menara Ansar, Jalan Trus, Johor Baru.