Malaysia PM Anwar tables expansionary budget, aims to lower cost of living - CNA

LOWER INCOME TAX FOR M40, HIGHER TAXES FOR THE RICH

Mr Anwar on Friday announced that the government is proposing lowering income tax for the 40 per cent middle income group (M40) while increasing taxes for the rich.

“The T20 group (top 20 per cent earners) are rich so they don’t need assistance. The B40 (bottom 40 per cent) has been given government assistance all this while. But what about the M40?,” said Mr Anwar.

“I am grateful for their patience all this while, even though they have been squeezed by the increased cost of living. So I am happy to announce that the government has agreed to increase the disposable income of the M40 group through a reduction in the individual income tax rate,” he added.

Mr Anwar elaborated that from 2023, the individual income tax rate for M40 residents, who earn between RM35,000 and RM100,000 annually, will be reduced by 2 percentage points. Currently, they pay between 8 per cent and 21 per cent, depending on their income.

Mr Anwar said this tax cut is expected to benefit approximately 2.4 million taxpayers, giving them extra disposable income of up to RM1,300.

On the other hand, Mr Anwar added that high earners with annual incomes of between RM100,000 and RM1 million annually will be taxed between 0.5 and 2 percentage points more.  Currently, they pay between 24 per cent and 26 per cent, depending on their income.

He said the progressive increase in income tax is expected to impact less than 150,000 taxpayers.

“This is a small number of people … but they must also shoulder the responsibility. Because if we want to lower the burden of the poor and middle income, the rich should contribute slightly,” he added.

Mr Anwar added that for the B40 households with income of less than RM2,500 a month, they will receive cash aid of up to RM2,500 depending on the number of children through the Rahmah Cash Aid initiative.

He added that food baskets and vouchers for staple food items worth RM600 will also be extended to Rahmah Cash Aid recipients who are registered.

Mr Anwar on Friday reiterated that the government has no plans to implement a broad-based consumption tax such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

“With the majority of the people still facing difficulties, food inflation exceeding 5 per cent, and low wage rates, it is not appropriate at this time to introduce and implement such a tax,” he said.

He added that the government was also studying how to introduce a capital gains tax for unlisted share disposal by companies, in line with international best practice guidelines.

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2023-02-24 12:03:04Z
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Cathay to dish out 80,000 return flights to residents of Southeast Asian countries - South China Morning Post

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1. Cathay to dish out 80,000 return flights to residents of Southeast Asian countries  South China Morning Post
2. Cathay Pacific to give Southeast Asia 80000 free air tickets to Hong Kong, 12500 for Singapore residents  Channel NewsAsia
3. 12500 free Cathay Pacific tickets to Hong Kong for Singapore residents up for grabs from March 2 to 8  The Straits Times
4. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-02-24 09:53:02Z
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Taiwan sees China taking lessons from Russia's Ukraine invasion - CNA

He said even if Chinese forces were planning a speedy attack they would face difficulties trying to take the island in a sudden move as they would have to cross the Taiwan Strait that separates the two.

"They would still have to overcome this," Chiu said. "It wouldn't be as fast as a week or two."

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control and continues to mount almost daily military patrols near the island.

"I've said it before - as soon as the guns sound we will keep going to the end. But we absolutely will not provoke."

Taiwan's democratically-elected government says only Taiwan's people have the right to decide their future.

While Ukraine has won widespread public support in Taiwan, and Taiwan's government has sent humanitarian aid, China has refused to condemn Russia and the two countries announced a "no limits" partnership shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine.

China has said that it is a "naked double standard" to seek to conflate the issues of Taiwan and Ukraine as the island has always been part of China and is entirely a domestic matter.

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2023-02-24 04:15:21Z
CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS90YWl3YW4tY2hpbmEtbWlsaXRhcnktbGVzc29ucy1ydXNzaWEtdWtyYWluZS1pbnZhc2lvbi0zMzAxNjgx0gEA

China urges Russia, Ukraine to resume talks, warns against using nuclear weapons - CNA

"My first reaction to it is that it could stop at point one, which is to respect the sovereignty of all nations," Jake Sullivan told CNN.

"Ukraine wasn't attacking Russia. NATO wasn't attacking Russia. The United States wasn't attacking Russia," he said.

"Russia has already lost this war."

And at a press conference in Beijing, Ukrainian and EU diplomats urged China to do more to press Russia to end the conflict.

Zhanna Leshchynska, charge d'affaires at the Ukrainian embassy, called on Beijing to leverage its stated neutrality and "talk to both sides".

"China should do everything in its power to stop the war and restore peace in Ukraine and urge Russia to withdraw its troops," she said.

"We see the Chinese side mostly talk to Russia but not with Ukraine."

Jorge Toledo, the EU ambassador to China, said Beijing has a "special responsibility" as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to uphold peace.

"Whether this is compatible with neutrality, I'm not sure, it depends on what neutrality means," he said.

"China has to uphold and defend and promote these values that are being grossly violated by the aggressor in this war."

STRATEGIC ALLIES

China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the conflict while maintaining close ties with strategic ally Russia.

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi met Wednesday with Putin and Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow.

A readout following the meeting published by Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted Wang saying China was willing to "deepen political trust" and "strengthen strategic coordination" with Russia.

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2023-02-24 02:31:00Z
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Indonesian baby weighs 27kg – the same as an 8-year-old – and wears his dad's clothes - The Straits Times

A baby in Indonesia has become so big that he has to wear XXXL diapers and his father’s clothes.

Muhammad Kenzi Alfaro, who is one year and four months old, currently weighs 27kg – the same weight as an eight-year-old.

By contrast, the average weight of a 16-month-old is 10kg.

“Normal baby clothes don’t fit him,” said his mother Pitriah, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.

Videos of Ms Pitriah struggling to carry Kenzi in their family home in Bekasi Regency, West Java, have gone viral on social media.

As he is unable to stand or walk owing to his weight, his family puts him in a stroller. However, even that is a struggle, as he is too heavy for the pushchair.

Due to his massive size, he can wear only XXXL diapers and fit into his father’s clothes.

“His father is quite small, so at times, I will put him in his father’s clothes,” said Ms Pitriah, 40.

She also said she has difficulties finding the right size diapers for her son, as her small town does not have many XXXL nappies.

“So I put him on double XL,” she said, adding that he will wear diapers only at night due to the family’s financial constraints.

Kenzi was around 4kg when he was born. However, according to Ms Pitriah, he started gaining weight on a weekly basis when he was around six months old.

“As I have no breast milk, I gave him formula milk, which he drinks four times a day. But from the age of six months, he started to gain a lot of weight,” she was quoted as saying by Indonesian news programme Liputan 6.

News portal detik.com revealed that the baby had in fact consumed sweetened condensed milk as a substitute for breast milk because her mother had a history of gallstones.

Health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has ordered medical officials to monitor the case and provide treatment.

For now, Kenzi is undergoing routine checks and weight loss treatment at a hospital.

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2023-02-24 04:51:43Z
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UN demands Russia withdraw from Ukraine - The Straits Times

UNITED NATIONS, United States - The United Nations voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to demand Russia immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine, marking the one-year anniversary of the war with a call for a “just and lasting” peace.

Ukraine earned strong backing in a non-binding vote that saw 141 of the 193 UN members in support, seven opposed and 32, including China and India abstaining.

Coming on the eve of the first anniversary of the brutal war, support for Kyiv was little-changed from that of last October when 143 countries voted to condemn Russia’s declared annexation of four Ukraine regions.

The vote came after two days of debate during which Kyiv urged the international community to choose “between good and evil.”

The resolution reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s “sovereignty” and “territorial integrity,” rejecting any Russian claims to the parts of the country it occupies.

It also demanded “that the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders,” and called “for a cessation of hostilities.”

‘Russia can stop tomorrow’

The vote showed Moscow’s continued isolation on the world stage after 12 months of war.

Despite its support from only a handful of countries, Russia has used its veto power to block any binding motions against it in the UN Security Council.

Instead, the UN General Assembly has taken up the issue, displaying solid support for Kyiv in successive votes.

“Next year, we should not meet here to mark the second anniversary of this senseless war of aggression,” said Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi during the debate.

“Russia can and must stop, tomorrow,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said.

“This war waged by Russia is everybody’s business because it threatens the existence of a state, because it represents a domineering and imperialist plan, and because it denies the existence of borders.”

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2023-02-23 21:04:24Z
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Malaysia's anti-graft agency says more may be charged in case involving COVID-19 aid - CNA

On Wednesday, Wan Saiful resigned as Bersatu’s information chief, telling local media that he had relinquished the role due to his ongoing court case.

Mr Muhyiddin, the Bersatu president, later confirmed Wan Saiful’s resignation. He, however, cautioned that the decision was not an acknowledgement that Wan Saiful was guilty, Malay Mail reported.

“This is a standard that we want to set against any allegations or perceptions against Bersatu. He himself volunteered to hand in his resignation, I appreciate his decision.

“His post will be filled with another supreme council member, we will appoint immediately as the post is important since we will face state elections soon,” Mr Muhyiddin was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail.

MAN ARRESTED FOR CLAIMING MACC OFFERED TO BRIBE BERSATU MEMBER

Separately, Mr Azam said the MACC has arrested a man who had accused the commission of offering RM10 million to Wan Saiful to implicate Mr Muhyiddin in the Jana Wibawa case.

The New Straits Times reported that the man was arrested when he presented himself to the commission’s headquarters on Wednesday.

"I will not forgive those who have tarnished the MACC's reputation. We have lodged a report and conducted our own investigation. The man in question has been arrested for further investigation,” Mr Azam was quoted as saying by the daily.

He added: "(The man’s) statement has resulted in a lot of speculation over the commission. These (aspersions) will remain there (online) and can't be removed. Many will still believe it (the accusation).”

Local media had previously reported that the man, who had claimed to be Wan Saiful’s research officer, made the accusations in a 44-second video on TikTok.

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2023-02-23 09:08:55Z
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