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Rich Germans ask for higher taxes

Anil Netto
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A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for higher taxes on the rich to help their country recover from its economic crisis.

The campaign – “Vermoegende für eine Vermoegensabgabe” (Wealthy people in favour of a wealth tax) – proposes a five per cent wealth tax for two years followed by a reduction to one per cent for those with a personal fortune of more than 500,000 euros (US$750,000).

This is in sharp contrast to Malaysia’s move over the years to a regressive taxation model – reducing taxes for corporations and the rich, and now shifting the tax burden to the larger public, including the low-income group (currently exempted from income tax), through a new Goods and Services Tax (GST). Corporate tax has been progressively reduced from 40 per cent in 1988 to 26 per cent now, and now GST will be imposed probably at 4 per cent – for a start.

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Something to chew on…

Anil Netto
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Since it’s World Meatless Day today, here’s a little reflection from theSun.

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11,000 Malaysians to go meatless tomorrow

Anil Netto
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A record number of Malaysians – 10,755 – have pledged to go meatless tomorrow (25 November) to mark International Meatless Day – Animal Rights Day. There is still time for more pledges to reach the organisers; so let’s give it a last-minute push.

This is the highest figure achieved by Malaysians so far, surpassing last year’s 8,563 pledges, since the campaign began in the country in 1996. Last year 84.2 million people all over the world pledged to go meatless.

With the deteriorating environment, this campaign is all the more important as livestock farming is a major contributor (18 per cent) of global emissions.

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Land conversion: Special circumstances?

Anil Netto
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A lot has been said about the conversion of leasehold land to freehold land. The state sometimes relies on the “special circumstances” under section 76(aa)(iii) of the National Land Code 1965 (NLC) to justify the conversion from leasehold to freehold but this section is frequently misunderstood.

The term “special circumstances” is not expressly defined in the NLC. The statutes or the rules of court do not shed much light either. So I asked a senior lawyer to clarify what constitutes “special circumstances”, and this was the reply:

It is left entirely to the opinion and discretion of the courts.

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East Coast floods: Met Dept issues red alert

Anil Netto
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The Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a red alert at 1.30pm, warning that intermittent and sometimes heavy downpours in Kelantan and Terengganu this week could lead to more floods in low-lying areas near river banks.

Thunderstorms in the two states have already forced over 8,000 flood victims to flee to relief centres in Dungun, Kemaman, Marang, Setiu, Hulu Terengganu and Besut.

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Talam debt: Audit needed on state agencies

Anil Netto
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A thorough independent audit is needed on the Selangor state agencies that are owed RM391 million by Talam Corp Bhd to find out how the debt arose and who is responsible for allowing it to linger. What wonders it would reveal!

The stage agencies concerned are subsidiaries of Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS), Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB), Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) and Yayasan Pendidikan Selangor.

State agencies usually come under the purview of top Selangor government leaders, and if these debts go back a decade as has been reported, then those responsible in the previous administrations have to be held accountable.

State agencies are believed to have entered into joint ventures with Talam to develop huge land banks. It was supposed to be a “win-win situation” – but obviously something went wrong, somewhere. Talam reportedly secured large landbanks in Ampang, Sepang, Puchong, Bukit Jalil and Rawang, all prime areas.

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A closer look at Talam Corp Bhd

Anil Netto
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The Selangor government’s decision to approve an additional RM391 million budget allocation to Mentri Besar Inc (MBI) to take over the debts owed by Talam Corp Bhd to three state agencies has stirred controversy.

Basically, under the move, MBI will use the money (via Selangor Industrial Corporation as a channel?) to settle the amount that Talam owes subsidiaries of Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS), Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB), Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) and Yayasan Pendidikan Selangor. The state government (via SIC?) is then supposed to recover the amount due from Talam.

While critics are viewing it as a bailout or window-dressing, Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim says the rationale is to ensure that Talam gives a higher priority to its debt (to the state), incurred over the last decade, ahead of its other creditors. On 10 Nov, Khalid gave Talam three months to settle the debt, incurred in connection with several property development projects. That remains to be seen.

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Solid waste act: Whither local councils?

Anil Netto
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Two Acts passed in Parliament – the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 and the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation Act 2007 – could take away a huge chunk of the powers of local councils.

These Acts allow for the setting up of a federal-level solid waste management corporation that could remove the powers of the local councils to oversee solid waste disposal including collection and disposal of rubbish, grass-cutting and even the cleanliness of public areas such as public toilets, markets and local council roads. The federal body could even take over the management and operations of all disposal sites managed by local councils, including the task of identifying new sanitary disposal sites, transfer stations, and the management and technical oversight of incinerators. Not much left for the local councils to do then. Even recycling activity by NGOs could be affected by the new Acts.

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Another reason why we need more green space

Anil Netto
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Many of us know instinctively and intuitively that open green space around us can relax our minds and lift our spirits – somehow we just feel better.

A new study confirms just that: it shows that people living near green space experience less anxiety, depression, heart disease, back pain and asthma than those living in concrete jungles.

“The role of green space in the living environment for health should not be underestimated,” Dutch researchers wrote in a study published in the British Medical Journal’s Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

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Law needed to protect access to coastline

Anil Netto
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This is something we need – a Marine and Coastal Access Act, which has just become law in Britain. From the UK Telegraph:

South of the border, we’re playing catch-up, but the Marine and Coastal Access Act, which became law on Thursday, is a historic breakthrough. The creation of a continuous, coastal access zone, and the protection of our marine habitats, will help us to see that we belong to a global biosphere. Part of that imaginative leap is the rediscovery of our status as islanders, with a responsibility for our own shores and coastal waters…

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