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What is the Citizens’ Declaration?

The Citizens’ Declaration is a 37-paragraph statement issued by some ex-politicians of fame (or, is it infame) and many civil society individuals or CSIs in their personal capacity. Dr Mahathir Mohamad initiated it, then resigned from Umno, and now leads the signing of this document by citizens. Both Ambiga Sreenevasan and Maria Chin Abdullah signed in their personal capacities; not as Bersih. After all it is a Citizens’ Declaration.

My reason for signing the Citizens’ Declaration

All citizens must pay taxes on all real income and it is one clear and distinct way to raise funds for the governance of any nation-state. Private and personal income tax of every eligible citizen is the one remaining form of direct personal tax based on income levels.

If income tax is earned, tax must be paid for all income, except for allowed deductibles. One deductible can be ‘gifts or donations received’. If the person in question did in fact receive a donation from a so-called Saudi personality, then he should have declared that amount and the gift by law, and by voluntary declaration for personal income tax purposes.

If that income was declared in 2013, then we, citizens called RM or Rakyat Malaysia, have little or no problems with his receipt of any such personal gifts or donations. If on the other hand, this inflow into his personal bank account is a fact but was never declared, then we would like to propose that it is less than honest to now declare that such monies were a ‘gift or even a donation’, A gift is often declared as one.

The only way forward

We, the RM, would therefore like the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Abdul Razak, as a citizen to make public his income tax filing for 2013. Simply denying its application or non-use is not good enough.

Currently there is no direct route or means to make personal financial donations to political actors and players; which are tax deductible. Nonetheless, if we are law-abiding citizens; all such monies received as donations has to be declared in either the personal or corporate income tax filing. If it is declared then it is up to Inland Revenue Board (IRB) to determine if it is a legitimate ‘donation’ or not. Declaration of this fact only clarifies and sheds more light and less darkness.

If this was not done, then citizens of Malaysia, the RM, are being cheated of revenue from tax that should have been paid for such monies earned. Task Forces can study this matter of political financing and in fact have already begun, but for now a clear public statement is needed.

RM100 million corruption scandal

Citizen Nades has unfailingly raised and provoked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to review the Youth and Sports Ministry’s finances for about the last decade. Incessantly he has covered and carried issues and concerns about ‘potential corruption in this ministry’. In fact the SUN of March 23, 2016 carried a serious and sincere indictment of all ‘integrity pledges’, which shade a black cloud on all work related to integrity in Malaysia.

I agree with Citizen Nades that we do not need another study group; if there is no real political will to address issues and problems. The leadership of government agencies must apply their political will to uncover wastage and unproductive expenditure in all systems; as already required, and is part and parcel of their role and responsibility.

Therefore, I find it rather amusing that the chief secretary to the government would propose another ‘investigative team’ be set up. There is no need for that; as Abdul Razak Hussein once said, “When you want a job well done; appoint one man to do that job, and he will do it.” Was that not the true story of Justice Harun Hashim when he was Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) chief?

My proposal is that the chief secretary allow Citizen Nades to lead a team of investigators and report directly to Parliament about how ‘one smart government officer can strategise and steal at random and hoodwink the entire financial system for so long, in spite of all our bureaucratic rules and regulations’. We do not need super clever people to find out the truth; we need truth seekers who will not compromise the search at any cost.

Another case of institutionalised theft?

What is given below is a real live case-story of a former Malaysian who visited the country for a recent funeral, and was sent to me by his brother in law.

My brother in law travelling on an Australian passport was told at the immigration entry at Ipoh airport that he would only be given a 30-day visa and not be allowed to leave the country because he owed the IRB money for unpaid taxes.

He was asked to sort it out with the IRB as no further information was available from the immigration officer.

At great inconvenience to my brother in law who had to fly to Cambodia the next day, he met a tax officer in Putrajaya. He was told the old debt was incurred in 2000 but could offer no other information. His excuse was that the computer system had changed and it would take at least 60 days to get the required information.

One can see the ridiculous situation this foreigner (or former citizen) was put in. No factual information and emplaced in a limbo. He had not been working nor doing any business in Malaysia for last 30 years. How absurd is that? The amount was a measly RM4,000.

I advised him to pay the debt under protest and then appeal. He did just that. Is this how we run a professional ‘people first’ government department which is akin to highway robbery?

Truth matters, please tell us truth

Since all honest citizens pay income tax for all their income excluding allowable deductibles, we want to publicly demand that all MPs and assemblypersons to also make public their income taxes statements, as and when the need arises. My point is that as citizens we want honest and truthful people to represent us as members of Parliament, state assembly members, or even local councillors. Dishonest people cannot become leaders of our society.

All public appointments require a full and transparent public accountability system and people who are honest with country’s finances and goveranance.

Dr Mahathir and CSIs are therefore cannot be wrong; I do not care if they do make strange bedfellows. The current leadership of our nation-state appears not to come with honesty and integrity; we cannot tolerate such leadership of governance any more.

Therefore, I urge the head of IRB to come clean and declare if in fact such the RM2.6b donation was declared in the 2013 income tax filing by Citizen Najib Abdul Razak. Please do it by April 1, 2016. Otherwise, I will voice with Dr Mahathir and all other civil society organisation leaders and invite all Malaysian citizens to reject such corrupt leadership and please sign the Citizens’ Declaration. We need 1 million signatures to make our point clear. Let us do it right.