Malaysian government shouldn’t be so financially strained

Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying said that small businesses with annual sales below RM150,000 are temporarily exempted from issuing electronic invoices, headlined China Press, Kwong Wah Daily and Guang Ming Daily.

Genting Group executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay’s annual salary is RM190 million, earning over RM760,000, reported Nanyang Daily.

The Alor Setar High Court ruled that the Kedah state government’s decision, passed in the state executive council, to cease issuing and renewing the business licence for gambling companies exceeded the authority granted by the Federal Constitution (ultra vires), thereby violating the Federal Constitution, front-paged Sin Chew Daily.

As a result, the court ruled in favour of the three gambling company representatives who sued the state government.

Editorial

Since Philippines President Bongbong Marcos came to power, the Philippines has abandoned its friendly policy towards China and, under the backing of the United States, has created friction with China over the reefs in the South China Sea, said Nanyang Daily. If conflict were to break out, not only would the Philippines face unforeseen disasters, but neighbouring countries would also likely suffer collateral damage, added the daily.

The daily said that Southeast Asia is a rare haven of peace in the world. In this region, where countries enjoy social harmony and steadily growing economies, the expectation is for mutually beneficial development, not a bloody battlefield of conflict, added the daily.

The Malaysian government shouldn’t be so financially strained, said Sin Chew Daily. However, according to the Auditor General’s report, corruption (such as the suspected fraud in the Human Resources Development Fund) and budget overruns (such as in the River of Life project) are the main causes of the fiscal deficit, the daily said.

Only by addressing corruption and strengthening oversight of project budgets can these problems be resolved, the daily added.