Taxpayers should get two votes each in GE

'A highly qualified doctor who pays tens of thousand of dollars in taxes per year has an equal vote with a 'mat rempit'. Is that fair?'

Only 1.7mil active taxpayers in the country

Ferdtan: Inland Revenue Board CEO Dr Mohd Shukor Mahfar is 'embarrassed' to explain clearer the issue of why five million people in the country who are eligible to pay taxes but only 1.7 million are active taxpayers.

From our yearly income we calculate our tax payable for all wage earners. The difference is that there is a 'no limit' tax deduction direct from the tax payable if a Muslim elects to contribute zakat(religious tax).

Instead of paying tax for the country's coffer why not contribute tozakat as you are exempted from tax for the same amount a Muslim donates? Certainly a win-win situation.

If your computation of tax payable shows that you need to pay RM500, than if you donate zakat of the same amount, you pay no tax. The money is diverted to local religious bodies in charge ofzakat.

However, all other Treasury-approved donations is not treated the same way - they are deducted at gross of income; not at the tax payable level. So if you are paying at 20% tax rate, your donation only enjoys 20% deduction.

JusticeKini: Being a retiree and not on government pension, I have paid taxes when I was working.

The Employees Providence Fund (EPF), which I contributed, were used to support ailing GLCs (government-linked companies), including the two failed LRT (Light Rail Transit) projects and loans to MRCB (Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd), and now Felda.

During my working life, I saved government money by not taxing resources in government universities and sent my children to expensive private universities. Having 'sacrificed' for the love of country, I cannot even depend on government subsidies to help me cope with the galloping inflation.

So why should 1.7 million bear the burden of 28 million Malaysians, and half of them are hardly working, refused to work or simply scrounging for free handouts. Moreover, our government has to provide facilities for 4.5 million of illegal and legal foreign workers.

To add salt to the wound, Perkasa and Umno called us 'pendatangs' when the 'pendatangs' provided money for them to get employment in the government service and scholarships.

Black Mamba: The majority of the taxpayers are non-bumiputeras and what do they receive from the government in return?

They are marginalised when buying house as they have to paid the full price, while bumis get to enjoy a 5% to 7% discount.

They don't get preferences for government scholarships for their high achievers children, they are discriminated against when building their temples and religious places, they don't have hope in being absorbed into the civil service and rising up through the ranks based on merits and competency.

Whatever happened to the fat cats who made millions by virtue of having the right political cable - have they been declaring their contribution of taxes? An investigation ought to seek out these tax evaders.

Gunner: I have been paying taxes without fail ever since. But now I feel like being cheated, especially the way BN government spends my money.

Corruption is rampant, there is a lack of transparency as well as overinflating of prices in government procurement.

The government should establish a trust fund for taxes derived from betting activities and liquor industries as they are deem 'haram' in the eyes of Islam. They must not be used to pay the salaries of Muslim government servants, build and maintain mosques, etc.

The funds can only be disbursed for the purpose of financing non-Muslim programmes and activities such as building and maintenance of temples and churches, provisions of scholarships to non-Muslims, and for the welfare of unfortunate non-Muslims Malaysians.

Anonymous_40dc: Like Gunner, I've been paying my taxes very diligently and feel equally cheated.

Look at how the PM is abusing government's fund (read: taxpayers' money). He abused the government jet for his private holiday. Look at the lack of transparency in government contracts and procurement. Most procurement appear grossly inflated - now they come in billions.

After years of working in Malaysia, it is a nice feeling now to be working overseas - I feel empowered not having to contribute money to the government which I know will be squandered by the BN politicians and their cronies.

Onyourtoes: Dr Mohd Shukor, many things you said do not make sense. You said there are five million people who are supposed to pay but only 1.7 millions are active. So what are you doing about it?

You said many choose not to pay. Can taxpayers choose not to pay? If the choice is with the people, then may I know who would choose to pay?

Then you said, there are many who don't pay because of various tax reliefs. If they have reliefs (that means they don't have to pay), so why are counting them as potential taxpayers?

So now I have three questions for you:
1. How many people who are supposed to pay but "choose" not to pay?

2. How many who are supposed to pay but because of tax reliefs, do not have to pay?

3. How many don't have to pay whether or not the government provide any relief?

One more thing, you don't impress upon them to pay tax; you tell them and you enforce compliance.

Keturunan Malaysia: Onyourtoes, I like your dissections. It saves me the job. This revelation is not only an absurdity by itself, it is downright shocking.

I have been paying taxes for close to 40 years and still paying. I am happy not only to pay taxes but also to be able to afford to keep paying taxes. I am now having an extremely bitter taste in my mouth.

Ruben: I have been a taxpayer for all my working life which is now in its 27th year. I am indeed proud of doing that as the saying goes: "Give to Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar and give to God what belongs to God."

Of course, I do feel cheated at the amount of corruption going on in this country, feel cheated at the projects that are overinflated because various commissions that need to be paid, and last but not least, by people who get away with paying minimal taxes by understating their income or having two sets of books.

I am sure that if we take the tens of billions or even more that has been squandered off and put it to the right use, we would have been a developed nation by now.

Werewolves: All taxpayers should be given two votes in the general election. They contribute to this beloved nation more than those who do not pay their taxes.

A highly qualified doctor who pays tens of thousand of dollars in taxes per year has an equal vote with a 'mat rempit'. Is that fair? - Malaysiakini