Barisan Alternatif never agreed to a kharaj tax for non-Muslims and it is neither in the Barisan Alternatif common manifesto or the BA 2000 budget

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang 

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The chairman of the Trengganu State Education, Dakwah and Syariah Committee, Harun Taib, said that as PAS only won the Terengganu state government, it could only introduce the kharaj in Terengganu.

He said non-Muslims can choose to pay either income tax or the proposed kharaj, and need not fear having to pay twice.

In the first place, the question of PAS winning the Federal government on its own in the recent general election never arose, as PAS contested in 63 Parliamentary seats and it would not be able to form a Federal government on its own even if it had won all the 63 seats it contested.

Secondly, Barisan Alternatif never agreed to a kharaj tax for non-Muslims and it is neither in the Barisan Alternatif common manifesto "Towards A Just Malaysia"  or the Barisan Alternative  2000 budget presented two days before the Finance Minister, Tun Daim Zainuddin, tabled  the government’s 2000 budget in Parliament.

The kharaj issue was never raised once in the Barisan Alternatif Leaders’ Council which met for about ten months before the Nov. 29, 1999 general election.

The Barisan Alternatif common manifesto made four specific proposals to "Reduce the tax burden", and there was no reference to kharaj, namely:
 

• Raise the level of personal income tax exemption to RM12,000 a year, in addition to increasing child allowance to a reasonable level;
• Raise the level of personal income tax deduction for wives who are full-time home makers in recognition of their important contribution;
• Raise the level of service tax exemption to a turnover exceeding one million ringgit a year;
• Review the tax system with the objective of strengthening government revenues while reducing the tax burden on the people, especially the low- and middle-income groups.

Thirdly, the possibility of the Barisan Nasional Federal Government agreeing to the PAS Terengganu state government’s proposal that non-Muslims who pay kharaj can be exempted from paying income tax is as good as nil.

According to the Nanyang Siang Pao report today, Harun said that the Terengganu PAS government would only explain to various sectors of society after the kharaj enactment had been approved by the Terengganu state assembly.

At the Barisan Alternatif Leaders’ Council meeting yesterday, DAP had proposed that the PAS Terengganu should conduct the fullest consultation with all sectors of society, both inside and outside Terengganu, before the kharaj bill is introduced in the Terengganu state assembly.  This would also  show that the Barisan Alternatif parties are more committed than the Barisan Nasional to the principles of public consultation, accountability and transparency.

At the Barisan Alternatif Leaders’ Council meeting, DAP also proposed that the Barisan Alternative set up a special committee to study kharaj and all other measures to ensure that they do not infringe on the rights and sensitivities of diverse races and religions in the country as well as do not violate the Barisan Alternatif common manifesto "Towards A Just Malaysia" - both in letter and spirit.

(9/12/99)