Sessi Dialog Bersama Pesuruhjaya SUHAKAM



28 MAC 2010

Pada hari ini, satu sessi dialog telah diadakan di antara pesuruhjaya SUHAKAM, Dato N.Siva Subramaniam dengan rakyat-rakyat Cameron Highlands yang mempunyai masalah dengan Pejabat Daerah Cameron. Sebanyak 35 orang telah menghadiri sessi dialog pada hari ini.

8 kes lama beserta 6 kes baru telah dikemukakan kepada Dato Siva.Setiap pengadu telah memberikan penerangan secara ringkas mengenai kes mereka.Soalan-soalan juga telah dikemukakan oleh Dato Siva berkenaan kes-kes ini.Pengerusi Parti DAP Cameron, Sdr.Appalasamy@Simmathiri yang hadir juga telah memberitahu sessi bahawa masalah ini sudah wujud sejak 20 tahun dahulu dan rasuah sudah berakar-umbi di dalam Pejabat Daerah Cameron Highlands.

Manakala Sdr Kumarasalvam telah memberitahu bahawa banyak rumah kos rendah diberikan kepada orang yang berada di Cameron dan bukannya kepada rakyat yang miskin. Rumah-rumah ini kemudiannya dijual kepada mereka yang memerlukan dengan harga yang lebih tinggi.

Pada penghujung sessi ini, Dato Siva telah berjanji untuk melawat tempat-tempat yang terbabit pada 6 & 7 April 2010.

Suresh Kumar
PSM Cameron

PSM calls for referendum on GST

14 Mac 2010

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) called on the BN-led government today to hold a referendum to determine the extent of the people's agreement - or otherwise - with the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The party also expressed dissatisfaction with a minister's statement yesterday that the government would “engage with the public” and get its opinion before tabling the government's GST bill for second reading at Parliament.

“We call for the BN to hold a referendum on the question of GST and not just claim that it plans to consult the people,” said PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan (right) in a statement.

“While we would claim victory with the Protes coalition for the bill not to be tabled for now, nevertheless we believe that the GST will be back to haunt us as the GST is yet another ideological weapon of the neo-liberal regime to shift the burden to the poor,” he added.


Protes is a coalition of activist groups and opposition parties formed in 2006 to campaign against government-driven inflation.

Advocates of the GST assert that the proposed tax will benefit businesses, government and consumers despite proceeding from as low as four per cent, a lower rate compared to the current sales and service tax.

Protes and other detractors of the GST, however, allege that the tax, when implemented, will be burden primarily low-income earners.

They also allege that the government has not been serious in tackling corruption and wastage of taxpayers' resources, without which the GST would not be needed.

“We also call upon the government to maintain corporate taxes at its current rates and implement a minimum wage act to ensure the growing income disparity be narrowed down,” said Arutchelvan.

“But all these efforts will go in vain if we cannot plug the leakages and confront corruption,” he added.

While the GST has been mooted for over six years, the GST bill was tabled for reading only last December.

A demonstration had been planned by Protes to coincide with the bill's second reading on Monday when Parliament reconvenes.

Yesterday, Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hadadzlah (left) announced the reading had been postponed for further "consultations" with the public on the contentious bill.

Following the announcement, Protes declared a preliminary victory and called off its demonstration.

Further roadshows, however, will continue to be held, said Protes chairperson Dr Hatta Ramli, as part of the campaign against and to educate the public on the GST.

Malaysiakini
Mar 14, 10 6:45pm