It’s not cheap to look attractive, and one local celebrity wants the government to know that.
Local actress Nora Danish has reportedly suggested that celebrities like her are given tax exemptions for the amount they spend just to appear attractive in public.
Malay daily Utusan Malaysia quoted the 34-year-old as saying that artistes spend a whole lot of money to maintain their looks, and she hopes that the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) would consider her proposal.
“For me as Malaysians, it is our responsibility (to pay taxes). But what I hope is for a little exemption for celebrities like us.
“It is just that, in the current times we are paying a lot for our appearances. So, this is part of our career and perhaps it can be counted as our occupational cost,” she reportedly told the daily.
Such exemptions, according to Nora, would ease the burden of celebrities who rely heavily on their appearances in public.
After her remarks went public, Nora was heavily criticised on social media:
Meanwhile, Nora — who owns a headscarf brand as well as several café outlets — took to her social media pages to hit back at her critics, claiming that her statement was “twisted”.
On a photo uploaded onto her official Instagram page on Monday, she wrote that her remarks were taken out of context and she was “scolded” for no reason:
“Regarding the LHDN issue, I got scolded even when I did nothing wrong. This must be because somebody twisted Nora’s delivery.
“That’s fine, I am on my way back to Malaysia. Nora will check who sensationalised the news,” she wrote.
The ‘Police EVO’ actress ended her message with several hashtags including #haruslahbayarcukai and #sayabayarcukai – which means ‘should pay tax’ and ‘I pay tax’ in Bahasa Malaysia.
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