Friday, December 11, 2009

国会答复:政府对拉美士国会选区原住民的援助

蔡智勇[拉美士区国会议员]询问乡村及区域发展部,政府进行的原住民协助计划已为拉美士区的原住民带来什么协助。

答复:

政府在第九大马计划下通过乡村及区域发展部,拨出3亿7千730万令吉给隶属该部门的原住民事务局。这笔拨款是用于进行各种活动或发展计划,以提高原住民的收入和生活素质。

目前,当局共拨出40万3千824令吉用作拉美士国会选区的原住民发展计划,包括房屋援助计划、修复基本设施和改变思想及态度活动。

此外,部门通过原住民事务局,在Kampung Juasseh的65.15公顷土地和Kampung Segamat Kecil 的48.56公顷土地,进行橡胶业小园主发展局(RISDA)的油棕种植,共有55人参与。

该局也与柔佛教育基金(Yayasan Pelajaran Johor Plantation)合作,进行一项名为“重新收集计划”的土地发展计划,这项占地1千505亩的油棕种植计划涵盖拉美士国会选区的5个原住民村,受惠者达188人。


Tuan Chua Tee Yong [Labis] minta Menteri Kemajuan Luar Bandar Dan Wilayah menyatakan sejauh mana dasar dan program kerajaan untuk memajukan Orang Asli telah membawa manfaat kepada Orang Asli di kawasan Parlimen Labis.

Jawapan:

Seperti mana Yang Berhormat sedia maklum bahawa Kerajaan telah memperuntukkan bajet pembangunan sejumlah RM377.3 juta di dalam RMK9 kepada Jabatan hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) melalui Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah. Peruntukan tersebut bertujuan untuk pelaksanaan pelbagai program/ aktiviti pembangunan ke arah meningkatkan pendapatan, kesejahteraan dan kualiti hidup masyarakat Orang Asli.

Menerusi peruntukan RMK9 tersebut sehingga kini sejumlah RM403,824.00 telah diagihkan untuk projek dan program pembangunan masyarakat Orang Asli bagi Parlimen Labis. Menerusi peruntukan tersebut, pelbagai manfaat diterima merangkumi pembinaan rumah menerusi Program Bantuan Rumah (PBR), membaik pulih kemudahan prasarana dan pelaksanaan program-program pembangunan minda dan sikap.

Selain daripada itu, Kementerian menerusi JHEOA juga telah membangunkan kawasan seluas 65.15 hektar di Kampung Juasseh dan 48.56 hektar di Kampung Segamat Kecil dengan tanaman kelapa sawit yang dilaksanakan oleh RISDA melibatkan 55 peserta. JHEOA juga telah melaksanakan projek pembangunan tanah secara bersepadu menerusi Rancangan Pengumpulan Semula (RPS) dengan kerjasama Yayasan Pelajaran Johor (YPJ) Plantation merangkumi lima buah perkampungan Orang Asli di kawasan Parlimen Labis, dengan tanaman kelapa sawit di kawasan seluas 1,505 ekar yang memberi manfaat kepada 188 peserta.

Friday, December 4, 2009

消费税攻克影子经济 GST capturing the ‘shadow’ economy

马来西亚只有6.5%的人口缴税,这180万名缴税者只占了就业市场的15%。不过,这些年来大马的产业、汽车和奢侈品的销量都不错,难道缴税者真的只有那么少吗?试想想,如果只有180万缴税者,那些价值百万令吉的公寓和豪宅为何往往被抢购一空?为何豪华房车如马赛地、宝马和保时捷也不会乏人问津?指高级住宅产业主要是被外国人抢购的说法并不十分正确,因为外国买者都还不到产业市场的10%。

所以,我国的缴税者不可能只有180万人。消费税会导致我国面对一次性通胀,不过,如果政府改变补贴机制,让机制显得更公平,日常用品也豁免征收消费税,那么消费税有一定的可行性。如果国家缴税者少,人民购买力强,显示所得税的机制不够有效,形成影子经济。所以,以消费为计算基础的消费税制度可以让政府攻克影子经济,并且让人民带来好处,因为人民容易受到奢侈品的诱惑,这些奢侈品被征收消费税可以让人民保持谨慎的消费态度。打击贪污和逃税行为可以让政府收回原本属于政府的税务,同样的,消费税可以让政府通过征税,从中修复经济。如果每年200亿令吉流失的新闻报道属实,那么政府至少可以找回8亿令吉税收。虽然微不足道,不过总比有人没缴税好。

另外,虽然一些中小企业和商人通过减税计划来减低他们的税务,不过他们并不能减低消费。大部分实行消费税的国家在实行这项制度的初期都面临经济成长缓慢或负成长的情况,不过一旦消费者适应了新价格,需求就会回升,这意味着缴税者将增加。某方面建议政府批准公开拍卖汽车入口准证给私人界以获得税收,我同意这是一项不错的盈利来源,不过,政府将在2015年取消汽车入口准证制度,我们不应该等到汽车入口准证制度取消后才实行消费税,反之我们应该现在就开始实行消费税制度,如果同时进行就更好。

我国有32%人口的月薪少过2千令吉,如果政府可以缓和消费税的对这个收入群的影响,同时能更公平地分配补贴,执行消费税是有一定好处的。

In Malaysia only 6.5% of its population pays tax which is approximately 1.8million people or 15% of the working population. But is it possible that there are only so little people subject to income tax when properties, cars and luxury goods sales in Malaysia has been enjoying good takeup rates all these years. Just imagine if there is only 1.8million people that is subject to tax, who are the buyers of the majority condominium and residential properties ranging above RM1million that is usually snap up or luxury cars like Mercedes, bmw and Porsche. The argument that the high end residential properties are purchased mainly by foreigners is not valid as foreign buyers account for less than 10% of the purchases transacted in the market.

Thus it is not possible that there are only 1.8million people that have the income to pay taxes. GST will result in a one-off inflation but if the Government is able to revamp the distribution of subsidies equitably, and basic necessities are tax exempt the benefits of GST should be seriously considered. The fact that there is a small base of tax payers but a huge purchasing capacity indicates the ineffectiveness of income tax and the existent of the shadow economy which some people thrive on. Thus, GST by virtue being a consumption based tax would enable the Government to capture the shadow economy for the benefit of the rakyat as most of these people would probably indulge in luxury goods or big ticket items which would be subjected to GST. Similarly for corruption, GST would enable the Government to recover a portion of the ill gotten gains through taxes. I am not advocating corruption but it is better than not collecting a single sen. For instance if what is said by the media that yearly approximately RM20billion is siphoned out is true at least RM800million can be recovered. It is a paltry sum but better than not capturing anything as it is likely that these perpetrators are not paying any income tax.

In addition some SME and business people through some tax minimisation scheme is able to reduce their tax payable but it is unlikely for them to reduce their consumption. Most countries that implement GST initially do suffer a slow growth or negative growth when they just implement GST, but subsequently as consumer adjust to the new pricing the demand will return. This means it will increase the number tax payers. There are some parties that recommend we tax the AP that are issued, and I agree it is a good source of revenue but as AP will be phased out in 2015, we should not wait until this happens to at least kick start the mechanism of the GST. Better yet, do both concurrently.

Ultimately, if the Government is able to mitigate the effect of GST especially for the 32% of the population that has income below RM2,000 per month and revamp the distribution of the subsidies to be more equitable, implementing of GST does have its merits.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

去年3至9月人數激增 逾30萬國人移民

文自《中国报》

外交部副部長柯希蘭比萊上議員指出,2008年3月份至今年9月份,移民海外的國人共達30萬4358名;相較于2007年則有13萬9696人。

他說,國民移居海外大致是基于教育、經濟以及跟隨伴侶因素。

柯希蘭比萊在下議院,如此回答馬華拉美士議員蔡智勇的提問。

受詢及面對高收入及專才外流情況,政府有何應對措施時,副部長說,移民海外可分為暫時性、中期及長期性3類,而中期及長期性的移民有30萬4358名。

“從這項逐年增加的數據,我們可發現移民至英國及澳洲的數目,明顯增加,這是因為很多國人都前往這此些國家深造。”

柯希蘭比萊說,至于因政治因素而移民者,則佔少數。

蔡智勇:任期将届满 华裔福利官未获续聘通知

文:南洋商报

(三合港28日讯)拉美士区国会议员蔡智勇指出,福利部在每个国会选区所聘请的临时性华裔助理官员,任期在今年底满期,迄今这些助理官员尚未收到续聘或延长的通知。

蔡智勇是在巡视吗咯华小新校舍工程时向报界这么表示。

拉美士198人获协助

他说,政府在推行第二套振兴经济计划里,聘请800多名福利部官员来负责“寻找计划”,令人担心的是这些职位可能会由马来官员填补,这将会造成国语掌握能力有限的申请者,特别是华裔面对诸多困难。

在“寻找计划”里,拉美士选区共有198名人士获得福利部的协助,其中华人及印人占了80%,因此委任华裔助理官员将会大大协助到不谙国语的申请者,他希望妇女、家庭及社会发展副部长拿汀巴杜卡周美芬能够关注续聘或延长福利部华裔助理官员的问题。

他进一步指出,虽然白米固本制度还未开始,那些没有被福利部纳入名单的人士,将无法获得由政府分发米或糖的固本,届时就会产生很大的问题。