SST will spell disaster for Harapan - Annuar

The sales and service tax (SST) officially rolled out yesterday will only spell a "major disaster" for Pakatan Harapan, predicts Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa.

Annuar believes that this will occur in less than two years of its implementation, should the prices of goods go up.

"If the SST is followed by rising price of goods, (and) the costs of living does not go down, I feel that the government will face a major disaster.

"(That disaster) will take place in less than two years," he said, without elaborating on the nature of said disaster.

Annuar made the prediction when addressing the thousands who thronged the Himpunan Melayu Bangkit (Malays Arise Rally) in Pasir Salak last night.

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The revised SST came into force yesterday, Sept 1, to replaced the GST implemented by the previous BN administration.

In a briefing prior to its implementation, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the government was forced to rush out the new taxation system to meet the Sept 1 deadline in order to avoid a potential operating deficit of RM4 billion.

Lim also stated yesterday that the government would be reviewing the list of goods under the SST and amending it by the end of the year upon studying feedback from consumers. 

'Mahathir has changed' 

At the rally, Annuar also addressed former Umno president and current Malaysian premier, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saying the latter is a changed man from his first tenure as prime minister.

He said Mahathir was not firm on many issues in his bid to remain popular, and that the party he now leads, Bersatu, was just a small party within the Harapan coalition.

"Mahathir before would not compromise on certain things, for example, things which could threaten Malay sentiments," he said.

Even so, the Ketereh MP said Mahathir was trying to smooth the waters when he announced that Majlis Amanah Mara (Mara) would be retained as a single agency under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

This came after concerns that Mara would be carved up and placed under the purview of several ministries.

"It looks like he (Mahathir) has returned it to the status quo, that means the people's voice is so important," he said. - Mkini