Use ‘sin tax’ to benefit non-Muslims, says ex-deputy minister

Former deputy minister Edmund Santhara Kumar said the major issues faced by the Indian community can be resolved if a portion of the RM8 billion ‘sin tax’ is allotted to it. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A former deputy minister has said that Putrajaya should use “sin tax” collected for the benefit of the non-Muslims in the country.

Edmund Santhara Kumar said the amount of taxes collected in 2022 was RM8 billion, Malaysiakini reported.

“If 10% or RM800 million from this is channelled to the minorities, of which RM300 million is given to the Indian community, all the important issues this community faces can be solved by 2030,” Santhara, a former deputy federal territories minister, was quoted as saying.

He was speaking to reporters when campaigning for the Perikatan Nasional candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election, Khairul Azhari Saut.

Duties collected from gambling, alcohol and tobacco products, among others, are known as “sin tax”.

The proposal for “six tax” to be used for the benefit of non-Muslims has been mooted in the past.

In 2014, DAP’s Loke Siew Fook proposed that revenue from the tax be placed in a special account that can be channelled towards the welfare of non-Muslims, including providing funds to vernacular schools, and cultural and social bodies.

Santhara also said he was puzzled by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s advice for the Indian community to not be “angry or jealous” about programmes meant to uplift Bumiputeras.

He said the Indian community was neither angry nor jealous, but unhappy with Putrajaya because of its alleged failure to fulfil its promises.

The former Segamat MP said the Indian community understood and accepted the special privileges of the Bumiputera community.

“But, what (the government) has to give to the minorities is what they have promised in their manifesto. Thus, I do not understand what context he was coming from when telling (Indians) not to be upset and jealous.”