Kuala lumpur: The government has never discussed any proposals to introduce a subscription tax on ChatGPT as mentioned on social media, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil. He emphasized that any proposal for a new tax must be brought to Parliament rather than merely discussed at the Cabinet level.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fahmi confirmed that the topic of a ChatGPT subscription tax has not been brought up in any Cabinet meetings or among ministers. He further mentioned that this proposal was not included in Budget 2025, presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Fahmi advised that the matter should not be entertained, addressing reporters at the 2024 MADANI Deepavali Open House organized by the Digital Ministry. The event was attended by prominent figures including Anwar, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and other Cabinet members and deputy ministers.
In a separate issue, Fahmi commented on the financial losses incurred by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and K
hazanah Nasional from their investments in FashionValet Sdn Bhd. He stated that both entities should be given time to explain their RM43.9 million losses following the sale of their stakes in the e-commerce platform for RM3.1 million. Fahmi noted that the issue emerged from a parliamentary response and acknowledged public concerns as it involved public money.
The Finance Ministry had earlier disclosed in a parliamentary reply that Khazanah and PNB suffered a loss of RM43.9 million from selling their minority investments in FashionValet. In 2018, Khazanah invested RM27 million and PNB RM20 million in the company.
