Is the expanded SST much ado about nothing?

"Much ado about nothing" is a Shakespearean play about courtship and scandals. Much ado is seldom used when someone is overreacting and makes a big fuss over something unimportant. 

Introduction of new taxes will not be taken well by anyone, so there is something to ado over the government announced expended Sales and Service Tax (SST) to take effect soon.

It will have an impact on the mid- to high-income households, and businesses in the construction, healthcare, beauty, and education sectors. 

There were much ado over Anwar's mistake to mention GST as broad based General Services Tax. 

But the bigger ado was the nitpicking over taxing import dependent supply of fruits, in which apples and orange (but not pears) have been taken off the list. 

Supposedly the expended SST is targeted on imported goods, and goods and services for the higher income bracket, primarily T20s. 

It will be translated into the cost of living in all aspect of Malaysian life.

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Iran vs Israel-USA: How will it affect us?

Opinion: When giants clash — How the Iran-Israel war could reshape Southeast Asia’s strategic calculus

By Abbi Kanthasamy

Edge Online, 13 Jun 2025, 09:08 pm

On the night of June 12, 2025, the Middle East caught fire again. Israeli warplanes tore through Iranian skies, targeting nuclear facilities, missile sites and the upper echelons of Iran’s military command. Tehran seethed, vowing retribution. Washington — a different Washington under a very different president — publicly distanced itself, while nervously repositioning its naval assets. 

And across Southeast Asia, policymakers and markets alike held their breath.

At first glance, a spiralling conflict between Iran and Israel might feel far removed from Kuala Lumpur’s trading floors, Jakarta’s security briefings, or Singapore’s port terminals. But distance is no insulation in a hyperconnected world. 

This war is not just about uranium enrichment and missile strikes — it is a test of global fault lines, energy choke points, great power rivalry, and economic resilience. And Southeast Asia, caught in the crosswinds of all of it, needs to brace itself.

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SRC DNAA: Time for the Attorney General to Act and Deliver Reform

✍️ By: Dzulkifli Ahmad

Former Chief Commissioner of MACC / Former Deputy Public Prosecutor

The High Court’s decision to grant a Discharge Not Amounting to Acquittal (DNAA) to Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the SRC International money laundering case has reignited critical concerns about the integrity, professionalism, and accountability of prosecutorial decisions in Malaysia.

The charges, filed in 2019 under then Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, involved RM27 million under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA). Now in 2025, the prosecution has admitted that it is still not ready to proceed. 

This is not more than delay — it reflects a failure of prosecutorial governance that must be addressed urgently.

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Be'kelalan apple, Tenom avocado, and Gopeng grapes

There is a thriving debate on social media on the expanded SST to be introduced on July 1st. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim mistakenly mentioned GST as General Services Tax and that reignited the pre-GE14 political debate over GST. 

The more superior GST was demonised by PH (to include PPBM in 2018), and PAS that Anwar dare not return to it. More so, the system does not allow for any loophole for "businessmen" aligned to PH to evade tax. Anwar cannot postphone and has to take the bull by the horn. 

He cannot expect any shimmering light of hope to balance the budget without worsening the debt situation built over 28 continuous years of deficit spending. The expanded SST still take into account the B40s and M40s to focus on imported and luxury goods.

Unfortunately the common apple, oranges, avocado and grapes consumed by Malaysians are imported and will be taxed. Mydin called on government to exempt imported apple, orange and pears. 

However, a letter to the editor agree and believe its time to encourage production of local fruits. Why not switch to apple from Be'kelaalan, wide choices of local variety citrus, avocado from Tenom and grapes from Gopeng? 

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IKHLAS advocacy: Early Sokaiya, Yakuza-style racketeering?

In  the 1986 book, Yakuza by David E. Kaplan and Alec Dubro, the company responsible for the widely documented mercury poisoning at the city of Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan discovered in 1956 hired goons to intentionally disrupt the Company's AGM. It was to stop environmental activists and public from raising issues and permanently documented in the Company's minutes. 

The usual modus operandi by Japanese corporate racketeer or sōkaiya (総会屋) is to extort money from companies to prevent the 'meeting-men' (or 'corporate blackmailer') from disrupting AGM. And big named and globally renowned corporation paid protection monies to avoid any embarassment arising.  

Such activities declined following laws making it illegal to pay sokaiya, and imposition of jail and heavy fines for offenders from 1982 to 1994. It has not completely ended, but took a less threatening form. 

According to Terence Fernandez of Scoop.com, such activities are alive and kicking in Indonesia. 

Similar extortion have gone largely unreported in Malaysia. And the public may not be aware that the public grievances and usually unsubstantiated accusations aired by certain NGOs are budding Japanese sokaiya. 

Aman Palestine that was raided by MACC for embezzlement of about RM40 million is one subtle example and getting their pay-off from the public. 

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Sapura family court dispute again

A news report appeared on FMT on May 22nd few weeks ago. 

Since public attention were diverted to MEX, Maju Holdings, and owner Tan Sri Abu Sahid, not publicity on the yet another Sapura family dispute. Back in 2012, the builder of Sapura, Tan Sri Shamsuddin Kadir sued his two sons over asset redistribution before it was finally settled out of court.

This time, the dispute being battled out in court arise following the younger Dato Shahriman Shamsuddin's application to wind-up the family company, Sapura Holdings which in turn has interest in public listed Sapura Resources Berhad [ticker SAPRES and stock code 4596]. 

Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin, the elder of the two siblings disagree and their legal argument in court is based on the premise it is not a family company and it is normal commercial dispute. The 4% shareholder of the family's holding company and a protege of the father picked up from a faculty at UTM Jln Gurney (now Jln Semarak), Rameli Musa sided with Shahril. 

The FMT report provided an inside into Shahril's compulsive, obsessive and egoistic character that ultimately led to the failure of Sapura Energy. 

If he gets control of the family holding company, Sapura Holding and consequently Sapura Resources, Sapura Group started by Shamsuddin could be left to ruin and suffer the same fate as the Sapura Energy Berhad that was bailed out by PNB and government.

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Was Maju's 2012 MEX listing proposal a 1,000% return scam?

More stories from MACC's investigation of Maju Expressway (MEX) over the weekend. Before that, a refresher on the history of the highway from the website of the consulting firm HSS:

The Dedicated Highway initially started as a 42km of expressway that links Kuala Lumpur to the new KL International Airport in Sepang. The Concession Agreement was signed in October 1997 but due to the economic crisis the following year, the project was deferred in December 1998. 

It was later reactivated in July 2002 and only the 26km stretch between Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya was implemented with the remaining 16km from Putrajaya to KLIA deferred to a later date.

The "later date" was December 2019 but it did not happen. Tan Sri Abu Sahid and Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd (MAJU) subsidiary, Maju Expressway Sdn Bhd (MESB) was said to have ran out of money and unable to complete the 18 km second phase. 

They are now under investigation for alleged false claim of RM360 million. 

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