Latest news with #Kamil
Malaysian Reserve
3 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
SST is not 'divine law', can be reviewed, says PM polsec
THE government is open to reviewing the extension of the Sales and Services Tax (SST), which will take effect on July 1, said Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's political secretary (polsec) Kamil Abdul Munim (picture). He was reported to have said that the extension of the SST is not 'God's law' and it can be reviewed if necessary. 'Every policy will cause complaints in the early stages, that's normal. But in the end, the government will ensure that it is adjusted so that it does not burden the majority of the people. 'I don't think the government will close the door to reviewing this policy if there is a specific segment or sector that needs reconsideration. 'This is not God's law, so if there is a need for improvement, then it should be reviewed,' he said as quoted by Sinar Harian last night. The government previously announced the extension of the SST to several categories of imported fruits, a move that received mixed reactions, including concerns about its impact on the cost of living for the people. Defending the decision, Anwar sparked criticism when he used avocados as an example of an imported luxury fruit typically enjoyed by the high-income group. However, several parties pointed out that imported products also include fruits such as apples and lemons, which are not grown in Malaysia but are widely consumed, including by the low-income group. Explaining further, Kamil said the main purpose of the SST expansion is to strengthen the country's tax base, which is currently among the lowest in the South-East Asian region, while ensuring it does not burden the people. He also stressed that basic necessities should be ensured not to be affected by the SST expansion, which he said is necessary to strengthen the country's fiscal base. Kamil's statement came amid pressure from six major business groups urging the government to delay the implementation of the SST changes, particularly the 8% levy on commercial rental and leasing services set to take effect on July 1. In a joint statement, the SME Association of Malaysia, Malaysia Retail Chain Association, Malaysia Retailers Association, Federation of Malaysia Business Associations, Bumiputra Retailers Organisation Malaysia and Malaysia Shopping Malls Association warned that the tax could severely cripple businesses already facing escalating costs. They described the timing and scale of the new tax as 'gravely misguided' and warned it would trigger inflation, shrink consumer spending, discourage investment and threaten the survival of many small and medium enterprises (SMEs). — TMR
Observer
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Land of warriors... where ‘honour' is sullied, respect is lost
How can an ethnic group, rich in culture and tradition, and numbering more than 30 million people, not have a home to call their own? The Kurdish people are a proud people, gentle, yet, in protecting their 'honour,' become utterly mindless, brutal. The Kurdish, says proud young Kurd Danyil Kamil, are people of the mountainous, stateless region, that spans four nations Iran, Iraq, Türkiye , and Syria, once known as Mesopotamia. Culturally strong, and mostly Sunni Muslim. Ironically, following WWI, the Western allies having conquered the Ottoman Empire, made provision for a Kurdish state, even giving it the name of Kurdistan, in the 1920 Treaty of Sevres. However, the subsequent Treaty of Lausanne, in 1923, which established the post-war boundaries of modern-day Turkey, saw the Kurdish homeland fractured and according to Kamil, 'out of sight, out of mind.' Autonomous governance of the Iraqi sector has been touted since 1946, when Mustafa Barzani created the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which 15 years later, frustrated with their political progress launched an armed offensive against the government. In March1988, Saddam Hussein cruelly unleashed a chemical attack against Halabja, on the Iranian border, killing 5,000 Kurds. Iran's Ten million Kurdish Muslims, who have long sought formal allegiances with their fellow Levantine mountain-dwellers. However, successive Iranian governments have proven reluctant to cede a strong social presence, in country, and suppression of Kurdish autonomy and activism is widespread. Turkish Kurds too have suffered as successive Turkish governments have rejected autonomy since the 1920s, with Kurdish identity made unlawful. In 1978, Abdullah Ocalan inspired a bid for Kurdish independence, only to be arrested and gaoled in 1999. He is still imprisoned, alone, in Imrali Prison. It is conservatively estimated that more than 36,000 people have perished in the Turkish/Kurdish 'troubles. Syria only has a modest Kurdish population, denied citizenship, homes, land, and businesses, they were victims of widespread genocide until in 2012, Bashir Al Assad was forced to protect urban Syria from other rebel forces. Even today, Syria's fractured leadership refuses to negotiate Kurdish autonomy. This then, is the adversity that is Kurdistan, and hardly of its own making. But that's no excuse... Maybe the earlier generations would settle for peace and quiet, but as in every society, there is youth, and with youth comes restlessness, and a desire to be seen and heard, maybe ill-disciplined and free-spirited, but undeserving of the pathos surrounding one lost soul. Fairooz Azad was a Kurdish teenager, living in Erbil, population 879,000, and Kurdistan's largest city. She was pretty, vibrant, and bold, who successfully blended her beauty, fashion, personality and opinions, influencing thousands of Kurdish followers on social media. Her posts offered a very different perspective to the normally mundane existence where the only local excitement was their football team. A pretty girl, Azad would 'dress to impress,' frequently blogging and posting on TikTok and Snapchat, becoming prominent across the region's social media. Not everyone though, was impressed, and in November 2023, two rival influencers, feigning interest in her success, instead brutally assaulted and violated the 18-year-old and threw her from the balcony of Erbil's Eskan Towers. Miraculously, she survived with a broken leg, pelvic and spinal injuries. Incredibly, a tribal mediation saw her assailants given only a brief term of imprisonment, and they were released from jail before Azad was discharged from hospital. Then, in April 2024, believing Azad was now 'impure,' her father, uncle, cousin, a brother, and others, entered her bedroom and shot her dead while she was sleeping. To think young Fairooz Azad is now little more than a statistic, one of an average thirty women who perish each year in this region alone, in the name of 'honour?' This is not honour! For any culture, any tradition, no matter how disappointed, frustrated, or bitter with their lot, to seek solace in ritual gendercide, is completely wrong! Nyala Ali Khan, author, lecturer, and a global advocate for women's rights, in an interview on 'Counterpunch,' in 2016, that the 'discourse of honour killings,' speaks only to the 'incorrigible bestiality,' of the practice. How can a culture, a civilisation, a way of life, that regards honour so wretchedly, seek freedom, respect and independence so robustly?
Borneo Post
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
PKR Sabah may contest more than 13 seats - Mustapha
Kamil (second left) presenting the aid to a recipient, while Mustapha (centre) and Peto (left) look on. KOTA KINABALU (June 5): Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) may contest more than 13 seats in the upcoming state elections, said PKR Sabah chairman Datuk Ts Mustapha Sakmud. Mustapha clarified that the figure recently mentioned by PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar is not final and suggested that the party may field more candidates. He also revealed that the proposed lineup would include youth and women candidates. The Sepanggar Member of Parliament was speaking to reporters at the 'Tautan Kasih Madani' programme for the underprivileged community in Darau on Thursday. Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) chief Kamil Munim stated that Sabah's PKR chapter will lead the discussions on seat allocations and candidate selection. Matters beyond their jurisdiction will be referred to the party's top leadership. Kamil expressed confidence that young candidates will be featured prominently in the state polls, pending approval from the party's Sabah chairman and election director. 'Whatever happens, we must not focus solely on candidates but also strengthen our party machinery to ensure success and make history in Sabah,' he said during the event. As part of the 'Tautan Kasih Madani' programme, Kamil who is also the Political Secretary to the Finance Minister, presented cash aid under the Prime Minister's special allocation to around 500 recipients from the underprivileged community in Darau. Also present was Inanam assemblyman and PKR Sabah elections director Datuk Peto Galim.
New Straits Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Sudan's prime minister dissolves caretaker government
CAIRO: Sudan's new Prime Minister Kamil Idris has dissolved the country's caretaker government, state news agency SUNA reported late on Sunday. SUNA did not specify when a new government, the first since war broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, would be announced. Kamil was appointed by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan's head of state. The RSF has said since earlier this year that it would form its own parallel government with allied parties. Kamil took the oath of office on Saturday as the country's first prime minister since a military-led coup in 2021. In a speech on Sunday, he vowed to remain at equal distance from all political parties and to prioritise stability, security, and reconstruction in Sudan. - Reuters
New Straits Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia eyes up to US$10bil in trade, investment with Russia
KAZAN: Malaysia could unlock up to US$10 billion in trade and investment opportunities with Russia over the next five years as both countries intensify bilateral cooperation across strategic sectors, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's aide. Political secretary to the prime minister Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim said Anwar's official visit to Russia had laid the groundwork for substantial economic collaboration, particularly in high-tech industries and halal trade. "There is tremendous investment potential in the years ahead and if all moves in the right direction, we foresee between US$5 billion to US$10 billion in realisable trade and investment flows between Malaysia and Russia," he said. Kamil was speaking to Malaysian reporters at the Kazan Kremlin during the prime minister's meeting with Rais (head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. Anwar's visit to Kazan marks the second leg of his four-day official trip to Russia, which began in Moscow on May 13. Kamil said Russia's technological strengths, particularly in aerospace, artificial intelligence and halal manufacturing, aligned well with Malaysia's development priorities. One of the key developments, he added, would be the soon-to-be-resumed direct flight service by Russian airline Aeroflot between Moscow and Kuala Lumpur, a move expected to boost two-way tourism and facilitate business travel. "This is significant, especially considering the sharp increase in tourist arrivals between both countries over the past two years," Kamil said. "We see real demand and the reopening of this route will further catalyse economic and people-to-people exchanges." Among the outcomes of the visit was a letter of intent signed by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to begin importing meat products from Russia. In return, Malaysia will assist Russia in enhancing its halal certification capabilities, an area where Malaysia is widely recognised as a global leader. Kamil also confirmed that more memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were in the pipeline, covering sectors such as digital technology, education and agri-innovation. "Both governments have pledged to act swiftly on previously signed MoUs and are committed to following through," he said. On Western sanctions against Russia, Kamil said Malaysia would continue to oppose unilateral measures and uphold its independent foreign policy stance. "Malaysia does not support unilateral sanctions and continues to seek constructive solutions to facilitate smoother cross-border transactions with Russia," he said. Despite current geopolitical challenges, including financial transaction barriers due to sanctions, Kamil said both governments were working closely to overcome obstacles. On trade performance, he said that it remained on an upward trajectory, driven by Russia's growing exports to Malaysia and increased engagement from both public and private sectors. "This visit is a remarkable success for Malaysia," Kamil said. "In the current global climate, this is an extraordinary achievement and a bold move by the prime minister to assert Malaysia's independent foreign policy while protecting national interest." He added that the MH17 issue, which resurfaced in international discourse ahead of Anwar's visit, was raised directly with President Vladimir Putin. This, he said, underscored Malaysia's firm commitment to justice for the victims without politicising the tragedy. "The prime minister clearly conveyed Malaysia's position and Putin responded with a commitment to cooperate with an independent and credible investigation." Anwar's official visit to Russia is set to conclude on May 16, with the final leg centred on engagements in Kazan, including a keynote address at the KazanForum 2025 plenary session.
