Kampar MP Chong Zhemin says Chinese business support for PH cannot be judged solely by dissatisfaction with the SST.
Kampar MP Chong Zhemin told FMT it was inaccurate to link the Chinese business community’s support for PH solely to the SST issue.
Chong, who heads Perak DAP’s economic development bureau, said voters’ choices were influenced by broader issues such as the cost of living, economic performance, political stability and governance.
He said since SST was a policy collectively decided by the unity government, which includes Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN), it was unfair to place responsibility solely on PH.
Ahmad today claimed Chinese business owners are moving away from PH due to dissatisfaction with the SST.
He was reported to have said businesses might prefer the goods and services tax (GST) as it allowed them to claim input tax credits and apply for refunds.
Chong said Ahmad should raise his proposal with the government if he believed GST was a better option than SST, instead of making PH a “scapegoat” for a policy also supported by Umno.
Amanah secretary-general Faiz Fadzil also rejected claims that PH had lost support among Chinese businesses, saying poor communication had allowed opponents to push a racial narrative.
“Chinese votes remain with PH … it is just that PH has insufficient support from Malay voters.
“This racial narrative is what PH needs to counter,” he said.
Faiz said the government has introduced several good policies, particularly in economic management, but PH needed to improve its communication so the public better understood its efforts.
He added that Ahmad’s criticism should be viewed as an opportunity for the unity government to review unpopular policies.
“Although this policy (SST) was decided collectively, all parties in the government, whether PH or BN, must take collective responsibility,” he said. - FMT
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