TAX DEDUCTION OF SEVEN PER CENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTRIBUTE TO MALAYSIAN GREENING PROGRAMME

KUALA LUMPUR,  Nov 24 -- Members of the public who contribute to Yayasan Hijau Malaysia for the Malaysian Greening Programme: 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign will be given tax deduction, said Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.

He said the tax deduction is made under Section 44 (11 C) of the Income Tax Act 1967 with a deduction of seven per cent for individuals and 10 per cent of the total annual aggregate income for companies.

"Yayasan Hijau Malaysia plays an important role and encourages the public (to contribute) with this tax relief," he said during the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said this in response to a supplementary question from Steven Choong Shiau Yoon (Bebas-Tebrau) on the most active agencies in the programme.

Takiyuddin said apart from Yayasan Hijau Malaysia, the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department, Sabah Forest Department, Sarawak Forest Department and the state forestry departments in the peninsula,  as well as several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), were also actively involved in the Malaysian Greening Programme.

He told the house that to date, a total of 23,746,874 trees had were planted nationwide through the programme and the number of valuable species in the Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable and Near Threatened categories was 6,451,142 comprising 322 species.

He also said that a total of 4,139 people used the "Penghijauan Malaysia" mobile application as of last Nov 22.

According to him, apart from the application, a special website can also be accessed through the link www.100jutapokok.gov.my by all government agencies, the private sector and the public to record tree planting data either by agencies or individuals.

"The 'Penghijauan Malaysia' operating system does not classify data from rural and urban areas. However, the data is classified according to state, agency or individual grower and type of trees, ”he said.

The Malaysian Greening Programme: The 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign was launched on Jan 5 this year.

-- BERNAMA