Latest news with #RadziJidin
New Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia will not automatically extend tax exemptions to other countries
KUALA LUMPUR: Any consideration of granting tax exemptions on agricultural products from countries other than the United States (US) will depend on negotiations and reciprocal offers that bring clear benefits to Malaysian companies. Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the exemption of sales and service tax (SST) on agricultural products imported from the US was one of the outcomes of negotiations on reducing retaliatory tariffs imposed on Malaysia. "In response to the question of whether such sales tax exemptions would also be granted to imports from other countries, the ministry would like to clarify that the exemption granted to the US was the result of concluded negotiations based on mutual interests. "As such, any consideration of granting tax exemptions to other countries will depend on negotiations, requests and reciprocal offers from those countries, provided that it benefits Malaysian companies. "If we were to extend tax exemptions to other countries simply because they were granted to the US, this would be a decision that must be carefully considered, particularly with regard to what was mentioned earlier about the World Trade Organisation (WTO)," he said in his winding-up speech on the 13th Malaysia Plan. Earlier, Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin (PN - Putrajaya) had raised the matter, saying that under WTO rules, imported goods should be treated fairly. Zafrul added that Malaysia is not alone in this situation, as many countries are also setting aside the principles of multilateralism under the WTO in order to protect their own economic and political interests. "This is due to measures taken by the US that appear to be aimed at creating a new model of global trade, one based on prevailing geopolitical and geoeconomic agreements. "The sustainability of these measures within WTO rules depends on their specific design and implementation. "Decisions and commitments under the WTO, such as the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) treatment and tariff rates, establish clear parameters. "Any exemptions, including those based on national security or public interest, are subject to interpretation and the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism," he said. He added that MITI remains committed to complying with the various international trade rules currently in force. In this regard, MITI will conduct a more detailed study and consult with the relevant ministries, particularly the Finance Ministry. "Ultimately, we must uphold the principles of fair and equitable trade and avoid discrimination against any country, including our neighbouring states and especially those with whom we have Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). "In our discussions with the United States, we ensured that the ministries involved, particularly the Finance Ministry in relation to SST, understood that under WTO principles, what is granted to one member must also be granted to others. "This includes issues raised by the United States itself, which questioned why certain non-tariff barrier decisions applied differently to them compared with other countries," he said. Zafrul said that within FTAs, such matters can be negotiated, but since the United States does not have an FTA with Malaysia, tariff-related issues fall squarely under WTO rules, as the US is also a WTO member. "Here, tariff barrier issues differ slightly because the US is not part of any FTA with us.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Radzi: PAS Youth can have its pick, but Perikatan's Supreme Council will choose its PM candidate
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 — The decision on who will be Perikatan Nasional's (PN) prime minister candidate will remain with its Supreme Council, Datuk Radzi Jidin said today. The PN information chief and Putrajaya MP said any names floated before an official announcement are merely personal views, after PAS Youth chief named his pick which included four leaders from the Islamist party. 'As far as anyone who will be nominated as prime minister, that is a decision for the PN Supreme Council. 'So as long as the Supreme Council has not announced anything, there is nothing from PN,' he told reporters after attending a Bersatu Youth dialogue session. Radzi said any decision regarding the prime minister candidate must first be brought to and discussed by the Supreme Council. 'Until there is a decision from the Supreme Council, as I said earlier, those are personal opinions. Officially, it comes from the PN Supreme Council,' the Bersatu vice-president added. His remarks came after PAS Youth Chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden named five Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders yesterday as potential prime ministerial candidates for the 16th general election (GE16), while insisting that the Islamist party should lead the nation. He named four leaders from his party PAS: Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, and Datuk Idris Ahmad as the candidates. He also named the current Opposition leader and Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin. Both PAS and Bersatu have continued to be at loggerheads on their pick for the pact's prime minister candidate for the 16th general election since the slim defeat when led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
New Straits Times
30-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Radzi seeks clarification on secondary education exemption for unregistered schools
KUALA LUMPUR: A former education minister has urged the Education Ministry to clarify whether students in unregistered private institutions or those being homeschooled will automatically be granted exemption from compulsory secondary schooling under the proposed amendments to the Education Act 1996. Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin (PN–Putrajaya) said many parents send their children aged between 13 and 17 to private institutions not registered under the Education Act, including religious and private tahfiz schools. "There are parents who enrol their children in private institutions that are not registered under the Education Act 1996, or under any federal agency law or state enactment. This includes unregistered religious schools and private tahfiz institutions," he said during the debate on the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025, which seeks to make secondary education compulsory. "My question is, once this Act is gazetted, will children currently studying in such institutions be automatically granted exemption under Section 32A(3)? Or will each parent have to apply for exemption, especially for those with children in Standard Six this year who plan to enrol them in unregistered institutions, including pondok or tahfiz schools? "If they are allowed to do so, what process must be followed to enable their children to continue studying in these institutions?" he asked. Under the proposed amendments, a new provision, Section 32A, would empower the minister to issue a gazetted order making secondary education compulsory. Failure to comply with the requirement may result in a fine of up to RM5,000, a maximum six-month jail term, or both, unless the child has been granted an exemption. The bill also proposes expanding Section 29A to cover all Malaysian children residing in the country. Currently, the section mandates only primary education for children of Malaysian citizens. Radzi also sought clarification on the future of homeschooling under the amended law. "I would like to touch on the issue of homeschooling. Once this Act is gazetted, will parents currently homeschooling their children be allowed to continue, or will they be required to register them in recognised schools?" he said. Radzi also highlighted several recent cases involving the deaths of students in school dormitories, including that of Zara Qairina Mahathir, who died on July 17 after reportedly falling from the third floor of her school hostel. He also cited the case of Muhammad Zulfan Iqbal Zaiful, who drowned during a recovery session after training at a sports school in November. "A police report was lodged, but nearly three to five months passed without any development. When I read the news, my heart ached for the parents who lost their beloved son and are still pleading for justice. "I raise this issue in this esteemed House on behalf of the parents and the rakyat, who are urging the authorities, especially the police and the ministry, to take the matter seriously. "Just because the case did not go viral, it does not mean the family should be denied justice," he said. On April 13, the Education Ministry pledged to conduct a full and transparent investigation into Muhammad Zulfan's death after his family alleged negligence.
Malaysiakini
14-06-2025
- Business
- Malaysiakini
Delay SST expansion, power tariff and RON95 hikes, Radzi tells govt
Amid brickbats over the looming expansion of the Sales and Services Tax, a Perikatan Nasional leader urged Putrajaya to postpone any decisions that would increase the cost of living. PN information chief Radzi Jidin said this includes the proposal to raise the electricity tariff and subsidy rationalisation for RON95 petrol, which are scheduled for the second half of the year.
Free Malaysia Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Analyst sees move to muscle out Peja before GE16
Ahmad Faizal Azumu is believed to have been removed as PN information chief after a growing wave of rejection against him. PETALING JAYA : The removal of Ahmad Faizal Azumu as Perikatan Nasional information chief is being viewed by political analysts as 'a clear sign' he is being squeezed out of the top PN leadership before the next general election. Political analyst Tawfiq Yaakub of Universiti Malaya said the absence of an official announcement on Radzi Jidin replacing Faizal as information chief, a post to which Faizal was appointed just five months ago, clearly showed an attempt to muscle him out. The latest development had dealt yet another blow to the reputation and image of Faizal, a former Perak menteri besar, who had been linked to other issues, including Bersatu matters in Perak. 'I'm confident that this change is linked to his declining performance and the growing wave of rejection against him,' Tawfiq told FMT. 'PN was in a dilemma – if the change wasn't made, internal pressure from within Bersatu and PN against Faizal would have become increasingly difficult to contain.' Last month, several Bersatu assemblymen and division leaders in Perak were said to be unhappy with Faizal for seeking a change of acting opposition leader in the state assembly. He had sent a letter requesting that Sungai Manik assemblyman Zainol Fadzi Paharudin swap seats with Changkat Jong assemblyman Nadziruddin Bandi, a change deemed to be part of a power struggle for the role of acting opposition leader. However, Faizal said the request was simply because Nadziruddin was recently promoted to Perak Bersatu secretary, which Zainol had relinquished. But his leadership abilities were called into question by analysts after Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin was reportedly assigned to alleviate tensions in the state party. In December, Faizal took over as PN information chief from Azmin Ali, who was made secretary-general, while Radzi was also appointed to the PN Supreme Council. Earlier this week, Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari revealed Radzi's appointment after saying the latter had chaired a meeting as PN information chief. Faizal was elected Bersatu vice-president alongside Radzi and Ronald Kiandee in November, after agreeing not to defend the deputy president's post to make way for Hamzah. In the 2022 general election, Faizal lost his Tambun parliamentary seat to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim by 3,736 votes. He also opted not to defend the Chenderiang state seat he won in the 2018 polls. Radzi's new role in PN could inject some much-needed spirit into the machinery, says Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, as Faizal seemed to be ineffective in the role. He said the party machinery under the information chief played a crucial role in spreading the coalition's messages to Malaysians. 'The dissemination of information is very important in order to boost PN's momentum,' he said. 'This is aimed at bolstering the coalition's position as a challenger to the Madani government'.
