Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this
mk-logo
News
Najib charged again; RM18b in GST refunds 'misused'

KINI ROUNDUP | Here are the key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

Najib charged again

Former premier Najib Abdul Razak was hit with three extra counts of money laundering relating to the RM42 million deposited into his bank account, with the four earlier charges being amended.

His lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, said the charges are not related to 1MDB or the Equanimity superyacht.

Shafee also accused the prosecution of being ill-prepared and unfair towards Najib, saying they passed him 355 pages of documents in a CD at the last minute.

Johari Abdul Ghani, the former second finance minister, said allowing Najib on the Sungai Kandis by-election campaign trail was a mistake, as his corruption charges could taint Umno.

In response, Najib's former deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Johari “ should not step on someone when he is down.”

RM18b in GST refund 'misused'

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng told the Dewan Rakyat that there is an RM18 billion shortfall in GST refunds, which he claimed was misused by the previous administration.

The Dewan also saw the passing of the Service Tax Bill 2018 – the second of two sales and services tax (SST) bills – and Lim declaring the GST “dead” after its repeal.

Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman likened the repeal of the GST bill to the “mistake” of removing BN from power in the 14th general election.

Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan, meanwhile, proposed that gaming centres and nightclubs should be imposed with higher SST.

Despite the SST bills being passed, Kuala Nerus MP Khairuddin Aman Razali proposed that PAS’ idea of a taxation system modelled after the zakat (tithe) system be implemented instead.

Other Kinibites

The MACC remanded 17 Prime Minister's Department security personnel, who allegedly took cash totalling RM3.5 million from Najib's office on the night of the 14th general election.

Umno Youth questioned why attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ former law firm is representing 1MDB in its claim over the superyacht Equanimity.

Hishammuddin Hussein, the former defence minister, said he will start speaking up more on national issues now that Pakatan Harapan’s 100-day “honeymoon” period is almost over.

Mydin boss Ameer Ali Mydin termed the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia 2.0 initiative a “joke,” and said it should be ditched.

Prosecutors withdrew their appeal against a court decision overturning PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli’s conviction for insulting Umno members.

Looking ahead

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, along with his predecessor Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, will hold a press conference at the party headquarters.

PSM will hold a press conference on Khazanah Nasional Bhd allegedly exploiting contract workers.

ADS