Good morning, here's what you need to know today.


Key Highlights

  • Taxmen are coming

  • Harapan-Umno

  • Women's Day



Taxmen are coming

Complaints have emerged that the taxmen are going after people who have already resolved their back taxes under an amnesty in 2019.

The special voluntary disclosure programme (SVDP) which ran from April 1 to Sept 30, 2019, allowed taxpayers to pay back taxes with a penalty of 10-15 percent instead of the usual 80-300 percent.

Once the back taxes are settled, the taxpayer will be issued a clearance letter stating that no further investigation will be conducted for the years which they have paid up.

With complaints of a U-turn, former finance minister Lim Guan Eng offered to appear as a witness if legal challenges are brought against the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

On a related note, you have until April 30 to file your taxes to avoid penalties. The deadline for businesses is June 30.



HIGHLIGHTS

Umno man seeks to quash court order obtained by PM
This is over a Facebook post about the PM
April 27 -Decision on bid to compel PM's resignation
Plaintiff wants AG to advise PM to resign.
Speaker seeks advice on convening Perak assembly
He says sitting must be no later than June.

 



Harapan-Umno

Pakatan Harapan has begun seat negotiations for GE15 and does not rule out cooperation with Umno.

This was amid speculations that Harapan and Umno were already cooperating behind the scenes.

The speculation arose after Harapan and BN issued separate statements that contained identical paragraphs to pressure Putrajaya to lift the suspension of Parliament.

Umno’s Ketereh MP Annuar Musa, who favours cooperation with Perikatan Nasional instead of Harapan, described it as a case of “copy and paste”.

Asked about the peculiar incident, a PKR official did not deny coordination and instead quipped that it was making Annuar worried.


HIGHLIGHTS

Zahid trial: How alleged bribes used to buy bungalows
Defence claims they were for religious purposes.
Knives and chequebook to weaken Umno - Asyraf
He claimed grassroots being bought.
PAS: Cooperation with Bersatu, Umno should remain 
'It should last beyond GE15'.

 



Women’s Day

Yesterday was International Women’s Day and Malaysiakini paid tribute to various women who have made meaningful contributions to society.

They include Glorene A Das’ work with trafficked children, some of whom had a close brush with death before being rescued.

We also followed the story of Dr Yasmin Mohd Ghani who was among the earliest frontliners to be enlisted in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Don’t forget to check out our Malaysianskini series about the 12 women you should know about.

Coincidentally, yesterday was also the seventh anniversary of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 going missing but there is still no closure.



HIGHLIGHTS

Zuraida wants EC to reserve 30pct MP seats for women
She will make the proposal to the Election Commission.
The socialist roots of International Women's Day
It had a radical start.
PAS lodge police report over satirical post
PAS doesn't see humour in satire.

 


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 1,529 new cases yesterday (March 8), the lowest level for this year.

  • 77.1 percent of the new cases involved Malaysians.

  • Active cases finally dipped under 20,000. The 19,778 active cases were the lowest since Christmas last year.

  • 8 new fatalities put the death toll at 1,177.

  • For trends on daily cases, individuals tested, hospital bed capacity and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.


What else is happening?

  • Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz declared that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic is behind us.

  • Immunisation minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he received over 200 whistleblower complaints about the Covid-19 vaccination programme and have resolved them.

  • Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman is going on a one-month study leave in Singapore.


HIGHLIGHTS

S'pore to offer vaccines to some cargo drivers from M'sia
This is to innoculate against Covid-19.
DOE detains foreign vessel over oil dumping
Samples collected from the area.
Private hospitals promise not to impose surcharge
This is if they are allowed to procure Covid-19 vaccines.

 


What are people saying?

In honour of Malaysian mothers abroad
By Temily Tianmay 
7 unintended consequences in M'sian politics
By Wong Chin Huat
Being a woman in 2021
By Samantha Cheh

 

CARTOON KINI