CONFESSIONS OF A PM WHO STOLE FROM HIS PEOPLE? GOVT CANNOT FUNCTION WITHOUT GST – NAJIB FINALLY ADMITS

KUALA LUMPUR – The government will not be able to function properly if it abolishes the Goods and Services Tax (GST), said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

He said many government services will not be able to continue if GST collection is stopped.

Najib, who is also Umno president, said abolishing GST means the government will lose more than RM50 billion of tax revenue a year.

“If we deduct RM50 billion from the budget, the government really cannot function and many of the services to the rakyat could not be rendered,” he said.

“Imagine deducting RM50 billion from our current budget to RM210 billion. It will not be enough. We cannot even pay the allowances of the civil servants,” he told a press conference after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting at Menara Dato Onn last night.

Also present were Umno vice-presidents Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Najib was commenting on the purported U-turn by the Opposition regarding GST.

It was reported that PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar had said that the Opposition would not abolish GST if it won the next general election.

However, Nurul Izzah clarified her statement, saying that the Opposition has been consistent in wanting to introduce a zero-rated GST should it form the next government.

Najib added that it was nothing unusual for the Opposition to flip-flop on issues.

He said the Opposition could make any promise to please voters as it was not obliged to fulfil them.

“They can say whatever they like as long as what they said pleases those hearing it. We can see the same thing (happening) in other countries,” he said.

“(It is) only when they have come to power that they would realise that running a government (country) is not as easy as they’d thought earlier when they were contesting in the election.”

The people must be wary of the Opposition’s promises as they are made only to win their support, he said.

“In reality, any government needs to stand on a strong source of revenue.”

“That is why they (the Opposition) are not telling the truth.

“Their calculation is political in nature and not based on reality,” he added.

– Sundaily