KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to provide tax relief for public transport users to encourage more people, including those in the M40 and T20 groups, to use the services.
Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) said the measure would support the government's target of increasing public transport usage to 40% of the population by 2030, compared to the current rate of about 20%.
"Tax relief will encourage more people to switch to public transport and we should also set annual targets for the purchase of new buses to improve service frequency," he said when debating the motion on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Aug 11).
Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam) suggested boosting government revenue without burdening the public by closing tax leakage gaps, refining targeted subsidies and reviewing unproductive spending.
"Revenue can be increased through better governance, not by adding pressure on the rakyat," he said, proposing public-private partnerships, green sukuk and social investment instruments, with transparent governance to avoid leakages.
Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (PN-Kemaman) called for the creation of a National Centre of Excellence for rare earth elements (REE) to develop Malaysia's non-radioactive rare earth industry (NREE).
"We should invest more in research, development, commercialisation and innovation in sectors where we have a competitive edge, such as smart agriculture, renewable energy and halal biotechnology," he said, stressing the need for a monitoring mechanism to ensure 13MP allocations deliver maximum impact. – Bernama
