What should the role of the United Nation be? Discuss

Vanessa:

What is United Nations (UN) ?

The real question is, should the United Nation control the Avengers? I understand innocents were killed while heroes are saving the day, but do you agree when the Secretary of State approaches the Avengers team about signing an agreement that would make them beholden to the United Nations? Politics and superheroes, really? That sounds like a lot of paper work need to be done.

I’m just joking (hahahah). Now back to the topic, first of all what is United Nation?

            In 1945 when World War II is over, many nations were destroyed and the world wanted peace. Hence, the United Nations was found as an international organization. As of today, the U.N. is made up of 193 Member States and of course Malaysia is one of them. The mission of the United Nations are guided by the purpose and principles contained in its founding Charter. The U.N. is unique and it has a lot of powers vested in the Charter, that allow United Nations to take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21^st century, the issues include peace, security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, terrorism, disarmament, humanitarian, health emergencies, governance, food production and much more. 

            When dealing with the issues as mentioned above, the United Nations will provide a forum for its members to state and express their opinion and views in the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and other bodies and committees. With such communication and discussion between its members, and by hosting negotiations, the United Nations has become a mechanism for governments to find areas that majority of members can agree on, come out with solutions and solve the problems together.

            Other than that, the United Nations system is also made up of the U.N. itself and many other programmes, funds, and specialized agencies, all with their own membership, leadership, and budget. The programmes and funds are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions. The Specialized Agencies are independent international organizations funded by both voluntary and assessed contributions. Some of their most important programmes and funds include The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) where they work in nearly 170 countries and territories to help eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and build resilience. The purpose is to help these countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and UNDP plays a vital role. The other programmes example is The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and they focus on children by providing long-term humanitarian and development assistance to children and mothers.

 Syafiqah:

Role of United Nations

The United Nation was established in 1946 and is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is one of six principal organs of the UN and is generally viewed as the apex of the UN system although its powers and functions are separate to the UN Secretary-General. The Council’s powers include the establishment of peacekeeping and special political missions, authorisation of military enforcement action, the imposition of international sanctions on member states, and the ability to refer matters to the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is the only body in the UN system that can make decisions that are legally binding on all members (China&UN, n.d.).

To retain international peace and security has been the prime responsibility of the UN. During about 64 years of its existence, it has done a valuable work in this direction. It has done a fairly good amount of work in the settlement of several controversies, which could have posed serious threats to the world peace. Along with it, the UN has contributed greatly in the field of decolonization, human rights, disarmament (Your Article Library, n.d.).

The Council also has an important role in the governance of the UN system. It has responsibility for approving the admission of new member states to the UN, the appointment of the UN Secretary-General and senior UN officials, and is jointly responsible with the UN General Assembly for the election of judges to the International Court of Justice.

The Council has unique responsibility and decision making powers and has a range of tools at its disposal. When faced with a potential conflict, the first response of the Council is to recommend to the parties that they reach agreement through peaceful means. The Council may appoint, or ask the UN Secretary General to appoint, special representatives to assist and guide efforts towards conflict resolution. In cases where conflict is occurring, the Council may issue ceasefire directives, send in UN peacekeeping forces or use enforcement actions, such as sanctions (united nation peacekeeping, n.d.).

With or without agreement of national governments, the Council can take steps to protect civilians caught in the conflict, for example by allowing access across national borders for humanitarian organisations. The Council can direct Government’s to limit stockpiling of certain weapons or disarm, for example by nuclear non-proliferation and destruction of chemical weapons. The Council’s day-to-day functions include the review of UN peacekeeping operations, consultations on specific country situations and monitoring the implementation of UN sanctions regimes through the work of its sanctions committees (united nation peacekeeping, n.d.).   

 Susan:

Principles of UN:

The world we living nowadays is one of promise and of risks. The spread of liberty and democracy, free markets and trade and the era of technology advanced, are where the promise is lying. There are various dangers and risks that must be faced –new forms of terrorism and the prospering of weapons of mass destruction. The members of United Nations embrace several vital principles to deal with the peril head on. (Kim, 2003) figured out the fundamental principles that UN hold for their long term goal.

• Responsibility

UN has urged every members or nations which are its member, to carefully consider the world’s future, which is most possibly coming with terrorism and proliferation. As a part of the international community, UN has appealed to every member in order to assist the prevention effort. The Secretary-General as the commission of UN would examine the threats caused by terrorists and weapons of mass destruction and enforce the collection action.

·                  Accountability
Regardless of permanent or elected members of the community, accountability ideally requested that membership only entitled to those who are willing to carry the burdens. UN support exploring ways to make the Security Council more truly representative and the most effective way to do so is to ensure the democratic are always being practiced.

• Effectiveness

An effective UN must spend the hard-earned contributions of its members with smart and fairly. Carefully targeted spending to achieve beneficial goals is wise. The United State of America has giving contribution with voluntarily by helping the developing countries strengthen their economies. They are harnessing market forces, attacking corruption, and consolidating the rule of law.

• Stewardship of financial resources

Every nation should work to ensure that the UN spends every dollar in the right way. For instance, Russia’s strived to maintain fiscal discipline in the UN. The push by Australia and others to end unsuccessful and outdated UN activities is timely. Stewardship requires that the intended beneficiaries of UN programs, in fact, do benefit. It requires poorly performing agencies to improve by freeing up resources better spent elsewhere to help those in needs around the world. 

• Modernization

As the European Union expands and tried to integrate its foreign policy into a single voice, the composition of the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG) and the Eastern European Group may be increasingly questioned, with some of the EU's future 25 members in both groups. As regional groups make unfortunate leadership choices, such as occurred when Libya was elected to chair the Commission on Human Rights, the entire system of regional bloc voting may also come under increased scrutiny.

·        Credibility
All members should comply the purposes of UN bodies. This means that a mode of rule that threatens its neighbors to support terrorism, and abuses the rights of its citizens should be disqualified for Security Council membership. It means that members of the Commission on Human Rights should utilized liberty and the rule of law. It also means that Security Council permission should count: nations under them should be ineligible for elected seats or leadership positions on any UN body.

• Freedom
  Advancing freedom should instilled everything the UN does, for liberty is essential to every significant human right issues attempt- whether it is helping ordinary men and women achieve dignity, lifting whole societies out of poverty, creating the life-saving technologies that will reduce disease and hunger, or creating the foundation for domestic and international peace.

Hoe Choon:

Movie that included the UN ideas in the story

            Besides Civil War, there is another movie that related with United Nation, which is the "LONDON HAS FALLEN"!!!... Here's the summary of movie.

        Several years after Banning saved President Asher from an attack on the White House in "Olympus Has Fallen", he’s forced into action once more during a visit to London as the city comes under attack from an arms dealer hell-bent on seeking revenge for the death of his family at the hands of the United Nations.

            First, all of the major world leaders from across the globe are in one place to join prominent world leaders for Wilson's state funeral (British Prime Minister). Which is united nation country prime minister had to attend. The terrorist wants to execute the President of the United States as a show of strength against the world. Moreover,  As the dignitaries are arriving, several mercenaries under Barkawi's command initiate an attack, starting with a bomb that destroys the Canadian Prime Minister's limo as it passes through Trafalgar square. So that terrorist start their first terror attack killing Canadian Prime Ministers and his wife. Followed Japanese Prime Minister killed by suicide bomber, French President killed by perishes in a huge bomb blast, Italian Prime Minister and his wife are killed when one of Westminster Abbey's bell towers is demolished while they are touring it, and the German Chancellor is shot dead by terrorists posing as Queen's Guardsmen at Buckingham Palace.

            Furthermore, there is one man stop terrorist Kidnap united states Prime Minister. That man is once again Secret Service Agent Mike Banning. Otherwise, Mike Banning gets away. But the ones behind the attack still pursue them. They try to get away in the President's helicopter but they manage to shoot it down. The President and Banning are now on foot and are trying to find a safe haven. But Prime Minister still get caught by terrorist. Secret Service Agent Mike Banning want to Rescued his Minister from terrorist and his cooperate with British Army and find out terrorists' secret headquarters. Thus, found out and the terrorist prepares to execute Asher publicly (US Prime Minister), broadcasting the video feed live around the world via the internet and hacked video outlets. Meanwhile, Mike has been found by a unit of SAS commandos, and the group assaults the terrorist stronghold in an attempt to rescue Prime Minister. A moment of that terrorist beats Prime Minister and preparing to behead him with a machete, Mike bursts in and shoots the gathered terrorists. Although the terrorist leader ultimately manages to flee and the prime minister is success to rescued by Mike.

References:

China&UN. (n.d.). the role of the united nation. [online] Available at: http://www.china-un.org/eng/zghlhg/zzhgg/t29436.htm [Accessed 5 May 2016].

Kim, R. (2003). The Challenges Facing the United Nations Today: An American View. [Online]. 2003. Council on Foreign Relations. Available from: http://www.cfr.org/international-organizations-and-alliances/challenges-facing-united-nations-today-american-view/p6451. [Accessed: 5 May 2016].

mofa.gov. (n.d.). Section 4. Roles of the United Nations and Other International Organizations, and Japan's Cooperation. [online] Available at: http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/1990/1990-2-4.htm [Accessed 5 May 2016].

UNITED NATIONS (2016). Overview [online]. Available at: http://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/overview/index.html [Accessed 5 May 2016]

united nation peacekeeping. (n.d.). role of the security council. [online] Available at: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/rolesc.shtml [Accessed 5 May 2016].

UNITED NATIONS (2016). Funds, Programmes, Specialized Agencies and Others [online]. Available at: http://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/funds-programmes-specialized-agencies-and-others/index.html [Accessed 5 May 2016]

Your Article Library. (n.d.). United Nations: Objectives and Roles of United Nations. [online] Available at: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/uno/united-nations-objectives-and-roles-of-united-nations/40332/ [Accessed 4 May 2016].

The current tax system unfair to the middle class and lower income groups. Do you agree?

Syafiqah:

Malaysian tax system

            Tax history for more than 2,500 years has been focusing on two significant issues, namely who pays and what is taxed. For most of human history, taxes were paid by the poor like peasants, slave and conquered people. Ruler collected the money to pay the cost needed for building public artefact such as monument and temples and some of the money are used to finance warfare.

            What are the tax system in Malaysia? Under budget 2015, tax payers with family and income of RM 4000 per months are not entitled for tax liability. The prime minister during recent budget presentation has reiterated its commitment to cut income tax between 1% to 3% for the 2015 year of assessment, meaning some 300,000 individual taxpayers will no longer pay income tax for the 2015 year of assessment, meaning some 300,000 individual taxpayers will no longer pay income tax (E-Cukai.com,2014).

Effective Year of Assessment 2016 (meaning from 1 January 2015 onwards), the tax rate for individual residents of Malaysia shall be reduced by 1% to 3% as follows:-

On the 1^st April 2015, Government has implemented the Good and Services Tax (GST). GST is a tax scheme where the tax is imposed at each phase of the manufacturing process so that each phase brings revenue to the government. 

GST is introduced at the beginning of the manufacturing process   and is counted in each phase of product or service production and marketing until it reaches the consumer, who pays the tax. GST is collected after the final consumer prices are imposed. Even though GST is imposed at each level of the supply chain, the tax element does not become part of the cost of the product because GST paid on the business inputs is claimable. So, the entire burden of the tax will be borne by the consumer. GST is a regressive tax, because it taxes on consumption and in terms of the same consumption, people with lower income spend a larger part of their income rather than those with higher income. It seems to burden the low-income households because they have larger marginal propensity to consume and most of their income will be spent on food and necessities (Ismail, 2015).

Hoe Choon:

Low and Middle income group in Malaysia

What does it mean to be low income and middle income in Malaysia? The low income people in Malaysia can be classified as people with salary not more than RM 1500 per months whereas the middle income in Malaysia can be classified for the people who gain salary for about RM 3000 and above but below RM 10000 (Chi, 2014).

They are the low income category living in government flats, riding motorcycle and having to spend hours at workplace in order to earn extra overtime to maintain life at poverty level. The middle income are normally graduates and their level of salaries starts with their type of jobs and where they work. A starting pay would about 2000 and at the incremental rate of 6% it takes years to build up to the average salary of 4500 and they are committed with study loan of on the average of 60000 and can hardly save, what more buying a link house which now cost about 500000, They have probably to have to rent a house for the rest of their life and drive 5-6 years old car (Mohamed and Nicholas, 2014).

Vanessa:

How is the impact?

The impacts that GST will bring to the consumption patterns of middle class and lower income group are mostly negative. The Government or the society should support these group of household about the issues of how GST could affect low-Ismail, International Journal of Environment, Society and Space and income households. Low-income households are not excluded from paying GST and taxes because taxes are collected at the time of purchase, which are already included in the products. However, the solutions that the Government came out with is that they support low-income households by implementing tax on wealth. This tax has been implemented for a long time in Islamic society where they called it as zakat. Wealth tax (zakat) is only applied on rich people who has surplus wealth.

UOB Global Economic & Market Research recent study has compared the impact of GST in Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and Australia. The study has found out that GST has a short-term impact on the consumer price index (CPI) because GST increases the CPI and inflation rates revert to long-term averages in the years after GST implementation. The study also stated that private consumption spending could be dampened after the implementation of the GST. However, wealth tax (zakat) expenditure has the ability to increase the aggregate consumption since the marginal propensity to consume of high-income households is lower than that of low-income households. Zakat distribution has a positive impact on private consumption in Malaysia where the 1% distribution of zakat will increase the private consumption by 0.36%. This results shows that zakat distribution is capable of affecting consumption spending especially by low-income households.

Will GST bring burden on end-user consumers of products? Yes, especially negative impacts towards middle class and low income group compared to higher income earners because GST is a regressive tax. GST promotes inflation which reduces the purchasing power of consumers, and raises barriers to upward social mobility for the lower income households. In one hand, inflation that keeps on increasing might cause higher interest rates and dampen private investment as well as bring negative impact on overall economic growth. On the other hand, implementation of zakat has bring a positive effect on middle class and lower income households’ aggregate demand and spending pattern. The reason is zakat is able to transfer wealth from the rich to the poor (low-income households). If the poor has higher marginal propensity to consume than the rich, then the aggregate demand will rise. This is because the poor will use money more efficiently as they will use it to buy necessity goods only, so it will bring greater production of essential goods. The zakat users will benefit from this too as they are able to increase their saving in order to avoid the depletion of wealth. The increase in saving will ultimately be matched by an increase in investment. The level of output therefore rises in equilibrium. Therefore, zakat is preferable to be implemented because it will be able to supports the low-income households and can boost the economy.

Shyu Chai:

Conclusion & Suggestions

As discussed in earlier part, GST leads to burden for them. Hence, in our perspective, we do agree with the staement: Malaysia current tax system seems as unfair policy for those who are lower income earners. However, there are several studies had carry out improvement and feedback towards the GST critism. 

Firstly, study by (Nor Asmat, 2015) suggested that that zakat is desirable to be implemented because it supports the low-income households and boost the nation domestic growth as well. The common aim of zakat is to redistribute wealth of the society among the poor. The wealthier person with money surplus will pays more in terms of zakat. And zakat will goes to the poor group as a tool of financial resources. By this way, zakat positively affected aggregate demand and purchasing power of low-income households. The money given to the poor will be used to purchase more basic necessities. Eventually, it will end up with greater production of essential goods by small and medium scale enterprises. Indirectly, zakat capable to boost up the growth of those small industries and created more labor force opportunities for the poorer groups.

(Business Cycle, 2014) stated “GST can be implemented in a manner that prevents inequality”, For instance, government reduced the personal income tax rate and launched BR1M program which distributing RM300 annually to lower income households in order to help them cope with the introduction of the GST. Not only of these, government should consider the best practices of Singapore in terms of helping the poor with the execution of the GST. Singapore implemented redistribution of society which is achieved via state education and health services, where GST was absorbed to subsidize patients in hospital and medicine sector. “Automatic Employment Benefits” implemented for topping up the wages of older, lower-income workers and targeted measures. GST credits and GS vouchers are used to relieve the tax burden on lower-income groups. It is the best way to stem unfair criticisms towards this tax system and keep the public happy.

References

Business Cycle (2014). A well-implemented GST can help the poor - Business Circle. [Online]. 2014. Business Circle. Available from: http://www.businesscircle.com.my/a-well-implemented-gst-can-help-the-poor/. [Accessed: 3 May 2016].

Chi, M. (2014). What does it mean to be middle class in Malaysia?. [online] Malay Mail Online. Available at: http://m.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/what-does-it-mean-to-be-middle-class-in-malaysia [Accessed 3 May 2016].

E-Cukai.com. (2014). 2016 LHDN Income Tax Rate. [online] Available at: http://e-cukai.com/2016-lhdn-income-tax-rate/ [Accessed 3 May 2016].

Ismail, N. (2015). COMPARISON BETWEEN THE EFFECT OF GOODS AND SERVICES TAX AND WEALTH TAX ON LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS: A THEORETICAL STUDY. [online] International Journal of Environment, Society and Space. Available at: http://malaysiangeographers.org/ijess/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/4-Ismail-COMPARISON-BETWEEN-THE-EFFECT-OF-GOODS-AND-SERVICES-TAX-AND-WEALTH-TAX-ON-LOW-INCOME-HOUSEHOLDS-A-THEORETICAL-STUDY-IJESS-2015-32-32-39.pdf [Accessed 3 May 2016].

Mohamed, R. and Nicholas, j. (2014). How will you classify salaries in Malaysia as middle class, upper middle class, and higher class with respect to financial stability?. [online] Quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/How-will-you-classify-salaries-in-Malaysia-as-middle-class-upper-middle-class-and-higher-class-with-respect-to-financial-stability [Accessed 3 May 2016].

Nor Asmat, I. (2015). COMPARISON BETWEEN THE EFFECT OF GOODS AND SERVICES TAX AND WEALTH TAX ON LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS: A THEORETICAL STUDY. International Journal of Environment, Society and Space. [Online]. Available from: http://malaysiangeographers.org/ijess/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/4-Ismail-COMPARISON-BETWEEN-THE-EFFECT-OF-GOODS-AND-SERVICES-TAX-AND-WEALTH-TAX-ON-LOW-INCOME-HOUSEHOLDS-A-THEORETICAL-STUDY-IJESS-2015-32-32-39.pdf. [Accessed: 3 May 2016].