Forbes' 40 Richest Malaysians

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Alhamdulillah, according to Forbes, the 40 richest Malaysians have added $3 billions compare to last year into the list and now we have 10 billionaires in Malaysia. We have two sons of former PMs listed among the richest. We have 8 Malays, 28 Chinese and 4 Indians in the list. The youngest is Vinod Sekhar at the age of 40. He has since been listed at the age of 37.

These 40 richest own more than $46 billions or RM148 billions! Surely we have other rich Malaysians who are not listed here. If they all pay their taxes and zakat yearly and the money is distributed appropriately to the poor, needy and necessary development, surely Malaysia will be prosperous and at peace. If just these 40 richest pay their corporate tax of 26%, that would be RM39 billions for the government to spend on, just from 40 businessmen and this is just one form of tax we are talking here.

I went on to compare this with the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia or LHDN (HASIL) to find out the total taxes that it has collected every year. To my great disappointment that the latest annual report from this board is 2005, no later than this. In the 2005 report, LHDN has collected RM56.85 taxes and it was projected that RM69 billions would be collected in 2007. The corporate tax on those 40 richest Malaysians has already preceded more than half if we are to take the same figure for 2008. Are the rest of millions other Malaysians poor or many are not paying taxes? Or rather, 60% muslim Malaysians pay zakat and not income tax to LHDN?

"Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas ALLAH, with HIM is a great reward" - Al-Quran, Surah At-Taghabun, verse 15.

At-Taghabun can mean the mutual disillusion or loss & gain. In verse 9, the word at-taghabun is used to describe the Day of Judgement. It is to remind us that all the wealth in this world has no use in the akhirah and our children that we give them channels to gain more wealth also will have no use to us on that Day. Wealth and children, are they losses or gains? Wealth (or excess money beyonds necessity) is to be shared not to be cumulated and counted. Stingy in Arabic has the same meaning as constipation. You keep those dirty and unwanted stuff in your intestines. Eventually, it will poison your stomach. Same to wealth that we don't need after we have fulfill our needs to live a life that enable us to worship ALLAH. Having only one child that is righteous and submit to ALLAH is better than having 10 children who corrupt the world.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.