KUALA LUMPUR – Aware of the plight of many Malaysians who are in financial distress due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, concerned citizens across the country today donated over RM100,000 in the span of just six hours.
The amount was raised during a fundraiser virtual concert “Derma Kilat Rakyat” organised by Projek Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) today.
Officially, after the end of the livestream, a total of RM106,694 was collected, according to a statement issued by PBM this evening.
All of the proceeds will be distributed to selected non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have been actively providing aid and assistance to Malaysians during this trying period.
It is understood former banker Datuk Seri Nazir Razak and AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes, who appeared in the event, has also pledged to contribute a sum of money, although the donation has yet to be made as of the time of writing.
The Derma Kilat Rakyat had initially aimed to raise RM3 million in a single day but unfortunately fell far short of its mark.
The fundraiser concert, which kicked off at 11am today and ended just past 5pm, featured performances and appearances by some of the most popular icons and stars in the country.
They include Douglas Lim, Jason Leong, Bront Palarae, Altimet, Daiyan Trisha, Naim Daniel, Kyoto Protocol and Carmen Soo.
Programme coordinator Amirul Ikman Azman told The Vibes that the organiser may consider conducting a second, similar event in the near future, although nothing concrete has been established yet.
“We accomplished this (today’s event) with less than two weeks of preparation. It was very rushed, because this is very urgent,” he said, referring to the plea for help from members of the public who have lost their income due to the pandemic.
Amirul added that donation is still open, and those who wish to contribute can do so via sinar.tv/donation.
The virtual concert today comes on the back of the Bendera Putih movement which aims to help Malaysians who are having difficulties putting food on the table.
The movement started after many among the public felt that the government had failed to protect its people in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, which has worsened over the months.
Earlier in his appearance at the livestream, Nazir urged for greater responsibility among the rich to help out those in need, and called for an overhaul of the country’s taxation system.
The degree of inequality has widened (since the pandemic). To what extent are the rich stepping up fairly in order to alleviate the crisis?
“I’ve been hammered before for suggesting a windfall tax, but actually I would even suggest a complete overhaul of the tax system. I’m sorry, but the rich investing in the financial market needs to step up and help more in this crisis,” he said.
Fernandes proposed for the reintroduction of the infamous Goods and Services Tax (GST), which he said can be regarded as a form of wealth tax, where a person pays more, the more he spends.
Additionally, he said it is high time a capital gains tax and inheritance tax also be introduced, going forward.
“But we also need to make sure that the money collected are spent wisely. It is really important that they are productively spent and can contribute to the wellbeing of every Malaysians.” – The Vibes, July 17, 2021
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