Kuala lumpur: The government has been urged to provide tax relief for public transport users to encourage more people, including those in the M40 and T20 groups, to use the service. Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) said the measure would support the government's target of increasing public transport usage to 40 per cent by 2030, compared to the current rate of about 20 per cent of the population.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Syahredzan Johan emphasized that tax relief would encourage more people to switch to public transport, and suggested setting annual targets for the purchase of new buses to improve service frequency. This suggestion came during the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) at the Dewan Rakyat.
Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam) proposed methods to boost government revenue without burdening the public by addressing tax leakage gaps, refining targeted subsidies, and reviewing unproductive spending. He advocated for public-private partnerships, green sukuk, and social investment instruments, with transparent governance to prevent leakages.
Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (PN-Kemaman) suggested the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for rare earth elements (REE) to enhance Malaysia's non-radioactive rare earth industry (NREE). He highlighted the importance of investing in research, development, commercialisation, and innovation in sectors where Malaysia has a competitive edge, such as smart agriculture, renewable energy, and halal biotechnology. He also stressed the need for a monitoring mechanism to ensure 13MP allocations deliver maximum impact.
On the education front, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH-Setiawangsa) recommended consolidating all government pre-school facilities under the Ministry of Education for a more unified approach. He also addressed the issue of low pay for Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam (Pasti) teachers, urging the Special Committee on Islamic Pre-School Education to tackle complaints of salaries as low as RM600 or RM700, which are justified by labeling teachers as volunteers rather than employees. He argued that this practice contradicts the National Wages Consultative Council Act.