Honorific hoax: Be warned, fake title holders – thanks to social media and public scrutiny, you’re being watched. — 123rf

THERE must be an assumption that it’s easy to get a Datukship in Malaysia. After all, there are so many decorated people running around. Throw a stone, and you might even hit one.

So, why not fake credentials and “be” a Datuk, since it automatically earns respect?

However, no one cares or asks why they are Datuk, Dato, Datuk Seri, Datuk Wira or Datuk Sri. To avoid confusion, the press has categorised them all as Datuk.

But like scammers, there are many people posing as Datuk, and they have become so brazen that they even put their fake honorifics on their business cards.

To add insult to injury, some imposters also claim they have a doctorate or worse, are medical doctors.

There’s a Datuk Sri Dr who claims to be an expert in some scientific field, but there’s no published medical work anywhere online. Surely a cause for suspicion.

And it’s becoming common practice for a genuine Datuk to falsely “upgrade” himself to a Datuk Sri, a title from Pahang, or a Datuk Seri, from other states.

There’s the case of a con woman facing criminal charges for attempting to pass off as Tan Sri. Certainly, that’s not very clever of her since there aren’t too many Tan Sris.

Not only have these cheats made false claims in their call cards and Facebook, but they’ve also spun this tale with the Registrar of Companies and Bursa Malaysia.

The Council of Datuk and Dato (MDDM) secretary-general Datuk Samson David Maman said the council has noticed a trend among many Dato upgrading their titles to Dato Sri, when they received no such award.

“We have been receiving almost daily complaints of people with influence using such fake Tan Sri, Datuk and Dato awards.

“We have also seen an increase in the use of fake and unrecognised Dato titles by businessmen in their SSM business records to upgrade their status for whatever scams or investments they want to promote, and this attracts innocent investors to their schemes, ultimately many become victims to scams,” he said.

MDDM president Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz had previously said based on the council’s records, almost 200 individuals have been linked with fake title scams.

He said that misusing awards and titles was a serious issue because the council has received many reports from the public about crossing paths with these scammers.

The MDDM has proposed upgrading the Awards Act 2017 on the use of illegal and unrecognised titles to address many loopholes in its enforcement to enable the police to be more effective in arresting this problem at national and state levels, as it is an affront to our country’s honorifics and royal institutions.

It has suggested amendments to several clauses in the Awards Act 2017 to the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) to strengthen the Act’s enforcement, so that the misuse of awards and titles can be stamped out.

The suggestions include fixing police powers to arrest and officially investigate individuals committing such abuses before they are charged because currently, the Act is vague about whether police can make arrests if an offence is committed under the Act.

“Also, whether the Act is applicable at the state level as not all states have enactments relating to it, so we suggest that certain clauses be amended to allow enforcement at state levels for awards conferred by those states,” he said.

There have also been reports of Malaysians, who knowingly or otherwise, have accepted – or paid for – foreign awards which offer the title of Datuk.

Those who bestowed these titles often claim to be rulers from southern Philippines.

For the record, only the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, our respective Malaysian State Rulers and State Governors are authorised and recognised to bestow such awards on the public.

It’s an offence for a citizen to accept a foreign Dato or Tan Sri award without the written consent of our King. This is law as drafted in Act 787 2017.

There have been recent cases of Malaysians being arrested and charged in court for using fake titles, which have gained wide media attention.

In June, 41-year-old businessman, Mohammad Shaiful Nizam Abu, was fined RM200,000 by the Sessions Court in Johor Baru for using a fake Datuk title from Pahang. He pleaded guilty to two counts of the offence, committed at a wellness centre of a resort in Senai, Kulai.

In January, businessman Hazimi Abd Hamid, 54, was charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for using a fake Datuk Seri title and honorific items from Pahang for business purposes two years ago. He pleaded not guilty.

He was found to have possessed Darjah Kebesaran items such as an appointment letter, the Dato Sri title necklace, the Dato Sri identification card and other paraphernalia, which were all confirmed to be fake.

In July, businessman Wan Yon Ann, 40, pleaded not guilty in the KL Sessions Court to a charge of using a fake “Datuk Seri” title – not conferred on him by the Melaka Governor for business, trade and profession – at a fast-food restaurant in Jalan Ipoh.

Last year, a jobless man, 50-year-old Imran Tolot, was jailed two years after pleading guilty to using a fake “Datuk Seri” title in 2018 – which he claimed was awarded by the Sultan of Pahang for business purposes – at a hotel in Johor.

Without doubt, there’s an urgent need to have the Act amended to preserve the reputation of genuine title recipients and the institutions conferring them.

It doesn’t help that there are regular news reports of Datuks being arrested or charged for numerous high-profile crimes.

Datuks are supposed to be responsible and credible leaders and surely not criminals. There are, in fact, convicted criminals who are still Datuks because their titles have not been revoked.

While these awards are bestowed by the various state rulers, if I may humbly suggest, the matter could perhaps be discussed by the Conference of Rulers, where their wisdom would be helpful in protecting the institution.

The public can easily authenticate recipients by visiting www.istiadat.gov.my, and scrolling down to “semakan Darjah Kebesaran,”. Key in their name and identity card number to verify their claims.

The suspected fraudster’s identity card isn’t required, so verifications can be easier, but the computer system is slow. Patience is required, but it is worthwhile to weed out the phoneys.

But a counter check with the website of the respective state would be helpful for accuracy. The database possesses information from all states, except for Sabah and Sarawak.

In one state, the information needs updating because its backlog dates back to 2016, an MDDM official said.

Journalists could be more thorough and not take things at face value when people claim they are titled personalities during interviews.

But the time-pressed media can’t check on every Datuk that appears on TV or is being quoted. Some news portals are dropping these honorifics from the names in their reporting.

More importantly, thanks to social media and public scrutiny, those who use fake titles, including even faked or expired professorships and doctorates, are hereby warned that you’re being watched.

Women in charge: Newly-minted KL Mayor Maimunah and Customs director-general Anis (bottom) are ready for the tough battle ahead after they declared war on graft and the abuse of power. — Photos: The Star

IF the men are failing, then faith should logically be placed in two women who embody competency and integrity to take the reins in running two important government agencies.

Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif was named Kuala Lumpur’s Mayor last week, and at her first press conference, she laid down the law for her zero tolerance for corruption.

Then there’s Customs director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin, who assumed the role last September.

The two tough ladies, hand-picked by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for their abilities, have declared their readiness to combat graft and abuses of power.

Malaysians can be assured that their pledges aren’t empty promises, the true bane of our existence.

Maimunah said she wants Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to be seen as a local authority with integrity, accountability and transparency.

The timing of her installation as Kuala Lumpur’s first woman mayor coincided with a DBKL enforcement deputy director and his assistant being charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court with two counts of soliciting and accepting bribes from the operator of an unlicensed entertainment centre.

Muhammad Irwan Abdullah, 44, and Zahari Muhammad, 34, were jointly charged for soliciting RM200,000 and receiving RM160,000 monthly from a man as an inducement for not taking enforcement action against unlicensed entertainment premises under his supervision.

Muhamad Irwan also pleaded not guilty to a third corruption charge for allegedly receiving RM130,000 in cash from the same individual in a similar charge over an unlicensed entertainment centre managed by the man.

Although debatable, DBKL can’t cover itself in glory now as an institution. In fact, it has a history of urban legends of the nefarious kind.

Gutsy Maimunah is no stranger to managing local government authorities, as she was mayor of the Penang Island Municipal Council and was also the first woman president of the Seberang Prai Municipal Council.

Another civil servant in the spotlight is Anis, who detailed her battle against corruption as the top of her agenda.

She has declared that the Customs Department, an arguably stained institution, will not protect officers or personnel found guilty of corruption and abusing their power for personal gain, describing these offences as “unforgivable”.

She said these actions had not only tarnished the country’s image and reputation but also affected most of the staff who are honest and dedicated.

Between May and July, numerous Customs officers were charged with a variety of corruption offences in various states, mostly involving transactions at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

This was a follow-up to the arrests of 34 Customs officers at KLIA and 11 officers at Port Klang by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The activities of the “flying containers” syndicate are believed to have led to RM3.5bil in tax leakages for the country.

MACC seized RM4.4mil in cash, believed to be obtained from the proceeds of corruption by Customs officers suspected to be involved in the case.

Also seized were four Yamaha XMAX motorcycles worth RM28,000 each, a luxury multi- purpose vehicle worth more than RM200,000, a used BMW car, jewellery, luxury watches, as well as a plot of land, all of which were bought with cash.

MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the agency had identified more than 100 companies involved in the syndicate, which had been operating for more than a decade in Port Klang.

The companies, he said, acted as intermediaries for the payment of bribes to rogue Customs officers.

The probe has also seen MACC liaising with Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau to track down a Singaporean believed to be a key figure behind the syndicate.

We’re certainly seeing early results since Anis began helming the Customs Department, as the number of illegal cigarettes seized and confiscated has increased by over 20% in 1Q 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, according to the Malaysia Integrity and Governance Society (MIG).

Illegal cigarette prevalence in Malaysia has seen an improvement from 56.4% in January 2024 to 55.4% in March, according to Nielsen’s Illicit Cigarette Study in Malaysia.

“When the current Customs director-general, Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin, was appointed on Sept 23 last year, she vowed to seriously go all out to address corruption,” MIG president Datuk Seri Dr Akhbar Satar was quoted as saying.

Recent news reports have also put a spotlight on a series of high-profile raids, including the RM12.8mil haul in contraband cigarettes and liquor made by Melaka Customs in two separate operations in Johor.

In Negri Sembilan, Customs seized over RM600,000 worth of illicit cigarettes and liquor from a three-storey bungalow rented by Bangladesh nationals, revealed a news report.

Maimunah is known as a “turn-around specialist”, a skill set that is common among companies in the private sector, but in this situation, it’s local government, or more specifically, municipal councils that have benefited.

When she took over the Seberang Prai Municipal Council in 2011, it was in a complete financial mess, but by the end of her term in 2017, the council had a surplus in its budget.

Her achievements caught the attention of the United Nations, and in 2017 she was appointed executive director of UN-Habitat at the level of under-secretary general by the UN secretary-general, and in 2018 she assumed her role at UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

Crucially, she was headhunted for the job, and again displayed her turn-around ability, putting things right at the headquarters.

Born to a poor rubber tapping family in Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan, she had to wake up every morning at 4am to help the family, but that didn’t stop her pursuing her studies until the tertiary level.

She studied town planning at the University of Wales’ Institute of Science and Technology before embarking on postgraduate studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia for a Master’s degree.

She is married to businessman Adli Lai Abdullah, and they have two adult daughters. Amira is working while Atira, who is now a businesswoman, was a former student of SMJK (C) Heng Ee in Penang.

Realistically, it would be impossible for Maimunah and Anis to battle graft alone.

“I alone cannot do it because we have 9,000 City Hall officers. So I am asking department heads and the executive management to monitor. We also have partners from MACC,” said Maimunah.

“We educate and provide knowledge, but if civil servants are determined to be corrupt, I will not hesitate to take action.”

She said it was vital for City Hall staff to have strong integrity and a firm awareness of rejecting corruption.

For Anis, she has reminded her staff that those who are stationed at airports need to understand that Malaysia’s reputation is always on the line through the services they render, so corruption, leaking government’s secrets, and abusing one’s position for personal gain will not be tolerated.

Both Maimunah and Anis certainly need plenty of support since their bold efforts will surely be unpopular among rogue officers who may still be holding powerful positions.

There could possibly be acts of sabotage to undermine their leadership. The duo must be mindful of these responses, and slowly and meticulously strategise their fight to ensure effectiveness.

For Malaysians who have routinely and repeatedly been let down, news of these two appointments is encouraging, and these ladies can be assured of our support.

The Proton e.MAS 7 electric SUV was unveiled recently. Let’s axe the X owner and turn our attention to the Chinese, especially Geely, for collaboration as they’re a committed partner who’s here for the long haul, says the writer. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star

IT’S disappointing that Tesla has opted against investing in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand after months of aggressive courting by leaders of these countries of Elon Musk’s electric car brand.

But it’s not surprising since China-made electric vehicles (EV) are already way ahead of the American company in this region.

From 2023, China’s BYD (Build Your Dreams) has become the world’s EV brand of choice, surpassing Tesla.

No doubt, Tesla is perceived as the better brand, but it now plays second fiddle to the Shenzhen-based BYD, the number one EV car in Malaysia.

As a regular visitor to China who has seen EVs on display in their showrooms across the republic, I can safely say these Chinese cars are quality vehicles offering value for money.

Their China-made status doesn’t make these EVs inferior to American or European cars. The days of China products signifying second-rate quality are well and truly consigned to the history books in this fast-paced age we live in.

South China Morning Post reported that BYD has been selling over 8,000 units since last year, 3,000 more than Tesla.

It said that EV sales in South-East Asia are expected to hit between US$80bil (RM354bil) and US$100bil (RM443bil) by 2035, from about US$2bil (RM8.9bil) in 2021, according to a January report by EY-Parthenon, the strategy consulting arm of Ernst & Young.

But while BYD is the best-known Chinese brand for EVs, there are also many other options.

The floor price set by the Malaysian government to protect Proton and Perodua is RM100,000.

If it wasn’t for this policy, Chinese competitors would have flooded the Malaysian market with cheaper options.

Jakarta Post reported that Chinese EV makers such as BYD, SAIC Motor-Corp-owned MG, Nio, GAC Motor, Li Auto, Geely and Chery, collectively controlled 53% of the global market share for EVs in 2023.

“Fierce competition in the EV market has prompted governments in several jurisdictions, particularly the US and the European Union (EU) to enact measures to curb China dominance and protect their domestic industries.”

Instead of contemplating their cost effectiveness, price offers and improving their EV designs, the US has predictably taken the easy way – slapping tariffs on China made EVs by quadrupling the import duties on Chinese EVs by a whopping 100%!

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is right in believing that intense competition from China rivals had influenced Tesla’s decision.

While Musk took his time to decide when and how to set up shop in Asean, playing hard to get despite the many incentives offered by wooing suitors, he’s ultimately a late comer because China beat him to it.

The SCMP quoted Cassey Lee from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute saying, “Tesla would be a latecomer in this market, and its EVs are pricier than those from Chinese companies.”

Unsurprising U-turn: Cars on the assembly line at Tesla’s Giga Texas manufacturing facility in Austin. Musk has opted against investing in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand after months of aggressive courting by leaders of these countries of his EV brand. — AFP

Tesla’s decision to skip Asean could mean it will miss out on a chunk of the region’s market, said to be worth up to US$100bil (RM443bil) by 2035.

“The global EV industry landscape has intensified, with China solidifying its position as the world champion in the EV space.

“As a result, China experienced a significant surge in the export value of its battery electric vehicles, which quadrupled from US$8.59bil in 2021 to US$34.13bil by 2023,” Jakarta Post reported.

The International Energy Agency reported that China accounted for nearly 60% of new electric car registrations globally in 2023, Europe at 25%, the US at 10%, and the rest of the world for the remaining 5%.

In contrast to the US blanket policy that applies to all EV automakers from China, the EU’s rule imposes a provisional individually tailored increase in tariffs for different manufacturers.

For instance, BYD will face a 17.4% tariff, while Geely and SAIC will be subject to import tariffs of 20% and 38.1%, respectively.

Jakarta Post added that a recent report by Counterpoint Research revealed that Chinese brands accounted for over 70% of EV sales in South-East Asia this year, with BYD leading the market.

“Chinese brands have successfully overtaken Japanese and South Korean brands for the EV space, which have long dominated Southeast Asia’s internal combustion engine car market, as the latter two countries lag in the transition to EVs.”

In Malaysia, Geely has partnered with Malaysian Proton to invest US$10bil (RM44.3bil) to expand its presence in South-East Asia while in Thailand, Chery has plans to set up a factory in Rayong province aiming to produce 50,000 BEV and hybrid EV units in the first phase of production.

Let’s axe the X owner and turn our attention to the Chinese, especially Geely, for collaboration as they’re a committed partner who’s here for the long haul.

The Proton e.MAS7 has already been unveiled and surely, this will be the first of many models that could arrive from 2025.

Digital fentanyl: We have all become addicts to social networking, making many fear losing access to these platforms if they fall foul of their rules or guidelines, says the writer. — 123rf

DEPENDING on which side you are on, the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated last week, was either a hero who defended the Palestinians or a leader of a terrorist group.

But as far as Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is concerned, it is the latter; as the Prime Minister found out much to his disgust, his posting on the Hamas leader was deemed unacceptable and was deleted immediately.

The removal notification from Instagram stated that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s post contained “symbols, praise, or support of people and organisations that we define as dangerous.’’

So much for the freedom of expression. If that’s not censorship, we do not know what is. Or maybe it is simply that the political stand of the PM is not aligned with what the owners of these social media platforms subscribe to.

It may seem ironic, but in the eyes of these operators, the PM’s posting was defined as more dangerous than the scammers, bullies, sex predators and anonymous slanderers roaming freely in cyberspace.

Over the past one year, many netizens have found their postings in support of the Palestinian cause removed, but we are helpless, because we do not have alternative social media platforms as in China and Russia.

Last week, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yassin’s statement on Ismail was also removed from Facebook. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul also suffered the same fate.

The reality is the world is dependant, if not hooked, on Facebook, Instagram, Google Chat, TikTok, Telegram and X (formerly Twitter).

While many of us have criticised the government for its plan to impose regulations on these platforms from Aug 1, these critics have strangely been silent when postings supporting Hamas leaders or the Palestinians are removed.

Neither has there been any objections or anger towards the many cyber criminals, who operate behind anonymity, who scam, cheat, bully or defame innocent people daily,

Perhaps that’s the idea of the “freedom of expression”, that these platform owners should be left to operate without rules, and allow them to cause misery, humiliation and even death.

These operators have become so powerful that any form of government intervention is regarded as unpopular and opened to criticism by groups or personalities who only look at one issue – politics.

While no one wants dissenting views to be curtailed, let’s not forget the real anguish affecting common folks daily.

We have all become addicts to social networking, including this writer, and many fear losing access to these platforms if they fall foul of their rules or guidelines.

It is what has been called “digital fentanyl” or an addiction to these destructive platforms. The US legislators used this term to describe TikTok, but they turned a blind eye to the other platforms, which aren’t any different.

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug, which the Americans are fond of accusing the Chinese government of providing to Americans, and the reference to TikTok is because the short-form video hosting service is owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance.

Many accusations have been levelled at TikTok and Huawei for their purported access to the data of Americans using these tools, but doesn’t Meta, for example, also already have our details?

In the words of Malaysia Communications and Multimedia (MCMC) commissioner Derek Fernandez, “the customer was sometimes viewed as a product whose data is traded for the right to use the service rather than a human being who must be protected from the dangers and predators in the digital space.’’

He said they see customer security as “a cost and not part of digital infrastructure needed to generate the huge profits they enjoy.”

To put it simply, these operators feel that it is the job of governments to regulate cyberspace and that it’s not their job to police cyberspace.

Neither is it their worry when people conceal their identities, create multiple accounts, target vulnerable people and deploy scam technology but when proper regulation is initiated, they cry “violation of freedom of expression,’’ knowing they will have their chorus boys.

“There have been clearly insufficient resources allocated by digital services providers for cybersecurity,’’ said Fernandez, adding that the problems have grown to the point of society being threatened and governments have realised that intervention was not only necessary “but a sovereign responsibility of the nation.’’

The cybersecurity expert said while these platforms were heavily regulated in the European Union, US, Vietnam, Indonesia and even Singapore, “sadly they have been enjoying exemptions from licensing or even proper registration in Malaysia.’’

He also said many users were not aware that platforms required them to consent to monetisation of their personal data as “a precondition to use their services’’ and “this allows them to sell their data to third parties, and should the data fall into the wrong hands, the data can be used for targeting individuals of cybercrimes.’’

But cyberbullying in Malaysia has gone out of control. It is not surprising to detect such devious acts in Facebook or Instagram, but it has even spread to LinkedIn, which is mostly used by adult professionals.

It is imperative that various laws are updated as the term “cyberbullying’’ is not defined under Malaysian law and is generally understood to mean bullying with the use of digital technologies.

It is time that cyberbullying is more clearly defined in our jurisdictions that seek to prohibit, regulate or sanction such behaviour as well as stronger criminal punitive actions against those who heaped financial misery as well as those who spew religious and racial hate online.

Enough is enough.

For all: Lest we forget, vernacular schools are government-aided and supported. But instead of waiting for handouts from the Education Ministry, Chinese schools engage in a variety of initiatives to raise funds and improve their facilities. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

THE unwavering support of the Chinese community, especially business personalities and education groups, towards Chinese primary schools is well established.

Their actions have removed the burden of the Education Ministry, which is struggling to disperse funds to schools.

Traditional Chinese culture attaches great importance to education as it’s viewed as an essential platform for self-advancement.

Instead of waiting for handouts from the Education Ministry, these schools engage in initiatives to improve their facilities.

School halls are rented out during weekends for badminton, weddings and other functions to generate funds.

The schools and parents also work together to improve their sports facilities and computer labs.

In one report, parents at Chung Kwok Chinese school in Kuala Lumpur even pooled their resources to upgrade the toilets, complete with polished tiles, backlit mirrors, auto-flushing sensors and wood finishes.

It was made possible because some of the parents are interior designers, while the school also received discounted prices on the items from contractors and tile sellers, the report said.

The Chinese community’s perception is that they will never get enough financial support for these schools.

For decades, funds have arrived from business groups as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.

But the biggest fallacy is that breweries donate directly to Chinese schools, which has suddenly become a controversy.

Why should breweries donate directly to schools, which are not even their customers? That accusation simply doesn’t make sense.

The brouhaha began when Selangor PAS deputy commissioner Sabirin Marsono questioned a Chinese school in Sepang for hosting a charity performance and fundraising event which involved a beer company’s sponsorship.

His target appeared to be Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu, who was present at the event.

The MP for Sepang is also a member of Amanah, a splinter party of PAS. She even pledged a RM10,000 donation to the Chinese primary school.

It’s a different story when breweries sponsor dinners and support groups such as clan associations, parents-teachers association or old-boys alumni, which contribute to these schools.

PAS is probably unaware that during the annual Hungry Ghost festival, many dinners will be hosted, which would also see millions of ringgit being raised for charity, including helping needy students and schools.

As with Chinese dinners, beer and liquor are usually served. Very often, beer is sold to raise funds. So, let’s not make an issue of this.

It’s not just schools that benefit but also Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Hospital’s development in Kampar, Perak, which reportedly gained from fundraising events supported by breweries.

Over 500 schools across Malaysia have received more than RM100mil since the “Tiger Chinese Education Charity Concert” programme started in 1994.

Last week, Tiger Beer said the company had never given donations to schools, claiming that its recent school fundraiser only involved performances by local artistes at the concert organised by the contributors.

It said it was confined to the school’s parent-teacher association and board of directors.

In fact, the Chinese Education Charity Concert (CECC) has been around for 30 years, and its mission is to be a platform to help the community raise funds to upgrade facilities at Chinese schools in need.

So, why is PAS suddenly upset with these charitable efforts, which are held in restaurants, Chinese associations and community halls?

It’s not news, and PAS incredulously wonders why most non-Muslim voters won’t support the Islamist party in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

Then, there’s hot head Umno Youth leader, Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, who has waded into this issue, forgetting that he represents a racially mixed state constituency in Melaka.

The beer industry, including Heineken and Carlsberg, contributes over RM2.2bil in taxes annually. Common sense would indicate the taxes benefit other Malaysians as well, and not merely non-Muslims.

During the Covid-19 movement control order (MCO), Heineken Malaysia donated basic food items to B40 communities to help vulnerable families of all religions and races to cope with limited income, while Carlsberg Malaysia donated thermometers and disinfection products to thousands of primary schools throughout Malaysia.

Over the years, the breweries have contributed over RM160mil towards promoting education, protecting the environment and advocating responsible consumption.

On Friday, the Cabinet decided that it would consider allowing vernacular schools to receive funds through its board of directors and foundation, including from activities involving alcohol brands.

The Education Ministry stated that the stand had been the practice of several administrations without dispute.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the event in question was for a charity concert and not a direct donation to the school, adding that it was organised by the school’s parent-teacher association and the school board.

Then, there’s the gaming industry, in particular, number forecasting operators (NFO), which also contributes billions of ringgit in taxes to the country.

More taxes could have been collected, but the gaming industry has been paying less since PAS began gaining more power at state and federal levels.

The winners are the illegal gaming operators, who are in cahoots with criminals and probably corrupt enforcement officials, too, as it is estimated the government loses about RM5bil in taxes.

According to a 2022 news report in The Edge, the operations of gaming companies, NFOs and breweries contributed RM1.86bil in income taxes in the previous two financial years.

Let’s not forget that Sports Toto contributes substantially to the National Sports Council for the development of sports in the country. It also supports the initiatives of numerous community and charity organisations.

It was reported that the Confederation of Malaysian Brewers Bhd alone generated RM3.7bil in taxes, profits and salaries, which is equivalent to 0.3% of the country’s gross domestic product.

About 20% of students in all Chinese schools across the country in 2024 are non-Chinese, a figure up from about 12% in 2020.

Mandarin is an economic language and with China becoming a superpower, Malaysians of all races understand why we need to master Mandarin – just like we know the importance of Bahasa Malaysia as our national language and English as an international language.

There’s no need to fear Chinese schools or make them political scapegoats because it only constitutes six years of basic primary education, where maths and science are prioritised, before students graduate to normal secondary schools.

Lest we forget, these vernacular schools are government-aided and supported.

Well, can the politicians who continue to pick on Chinese education and schools dare say that the Chinese community need not have to continue fundraising because these schools will be allocated an equal amount of money as other schools?

The biggest problem in Malaysia today isn’t Chinese or Tamil vernacular schools but politicians who brew racial and religious sentiments and intoxicate us with their poisonous rhetoric.