KUALA LUMPUR, October 30 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim addressed Parliament today, explaining the rationale behind the government’s new 2% tax on individual shareholders whose annual dividends exceed RM100,000. Anwar emphasized that the tax is part of a progressive taxation system designed to ensure that only those who can afford it contribute more to the nation’s revenue.
He illustrated his point by noting that shareholders with RM100,000 in dividends would typically hold shares valued around RM2 million, making the tax an equitable approach to wealth distribution. During the session, Anwar clarified that the term T15 is not new, having been previously used in discussions surrounding the diesel subsidy rationalization.
He pointed out that the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) classifies households earning approximately RM13,000 as T15, though the government is reviewing this threshold to avoid unfairly burdening low-income individuals. Anwar expressed concern over the growing number of parliamentarians questioning the removal of petrol subsidies and the new dividend tax, challenging the logic of subsidizing non-citizens and high-income groups, including the ultra-rich.
