KUCHING, Oct 7 — All five MPs from Sarawak’s Democratic Action Party (DAP) will vote against the proposed Inheritance Tax if it is brought in parliament, said Chong Chieng Jen.

The DAP Sarawak chairman said this was this decision was unanimously reached at the DAP Sarawak State Committee meeting here yesterday.

Citing a recent report by national paper Utusan Malaysia, he said the proposed Inheritance Tax is expected to be one of the five new proposed taxes to be tabled in the upcoming Budget 2025 meeting, to broaden the tax base and increase Putrajaya’s revenue.

This, he said, has caused grave concern among the many communities in Sarawak.

"As such, we have met today (October 6) to discuss the matter at length.

"While we have reserved our decision on the other four new proposed taxes — food tax, carbon pricing tax, high-value goods tax, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tax; the DAP Sarawak has unanimously resolved to oppose the imposition of the proposed Inheritance Tax.

"And should it be brought in Parliament, the five MPs from DAP Sarawak will vote against such a proposed bill,” he said.

Chong, who is also Stampin MP, explained it is the tradition and culture of Asian parents to leave something for their children and grandchildren.

He said the parents or grandparents have paid income tax in order for them to be able to accumulate wealth, such as a house, land or other valuable assets, which are then passed on to their children or grandchildren.

"To most Asian families, parents or grandparents and their children or grandchildren are seen as one family entity.

"Therefore, after paying tax to acquire the property, any Inheritance Tax imposed upon passing the property amongst the family members, is seen as a double taxation for the continued ownership of the property within the family.

To these families, the Inheritance Tax is seen as a double taxation on a family and thus is ‘most unjustified’, he explained.

DAP Sarawak, he said, will first resort to the internal avenue within the framework of the unity government’s system to state this objection.

"However, if all such internal avenue of unity government fails and when push comes to shove, the five DAP Sarawak Members of Parliament will abide by the State Committee’s decision today in opposing the Bill in Parliament.

"We hope our clear position today will help to stop the implementation of the proposed Inheritance Tax,” Chong reiterated. — The Borneo Post