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The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Tax relief urged for public transport users in 13MP debate
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to introduce tax relief for public transport users to encourage wider adoption among Malaysians, including middle and high-income groups. Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) said this move would help achieve the national target of 40% public transport usage by 2030, up from the current 20%. 'Tax relief will motivate more people to switch to public transport, and we should also set annual targets for new bus purchases to improve service frequency,' he said during the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) debate in Dewan Rakyat. Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam) proposed increasing government revenue by addressing tax leakages and refining subsidies instead of burdening the public. 'Revenue can be raised through better governance, not by adding pressure on the rakyat,' he said, advocating for public-private partnerships and green financing. Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (PN-Kemaman) called for a National Centre of Excellence to develop Malaysia's non-radioactive rare earth industry. 'We must invest in research and innovation in sectors like smart agriculture and renewable energy,' he said, stressing the need for oversight in 13MP spending. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH-Setiawangsa) suggested consolidating all government pre-schools under the Education Ministry for better coordination. He also urged fair wages for Pasti teachers, citing complaints of salaries as low as RM600 to RM700. - Bernama
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Govt urged to provide tax relief to boost public transport use
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to provide tax relief for public transport users to encourage more people, including those in the M40 and T20 groups, to use the services. Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) said the measure would support the government's target of increasing public transport usage to 40% of the population by 2030, compared to the current rate of about 20%. "Tax relief will encourage more people to switch to public transport and we should also set annual targets for the purchase of new buses to improve service frequency," he said when debating the motion on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Aug 11). Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam) suggested boosting government revenue without burdening the public by closing tax leakage gaps, refining targeted subsidies and reviewing unproductive spending. "Revenue can be increased through better governance, not by adding pressure on the rakyat," he said, proposing public-private partnerships, green sukuk and social investment instruments, with transparent governance to avoid leakages. Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (PN-Kemaman) called for the creation of a National Centre of Excellence for rare earth elements (REE) to develop Malaysia's non-radioactive rare earth industry (NREE). "We should invest more in research, development, commercialisation and innovation in sectors where we have a competitive edge, such as smart agriculture, renewable energy and halal biotechnology," he said, stressing the need for a monitoring mechanism to ensure 13MP allocations deliver maximum impact. – Bernama
