MP finds GST for noodles hard to stomach

All forms of dry noodles, including instant noodles, will now be subject to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), a move that Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar said would burden lower-income groups.

Mahfuz said the Dewan Rakyat had recently debated the revision of GST-exempted items, where dry noodles were now subject to the tax.

“This is the food of the masses and downtrodden. For university students and lower-income families, other foodstuff cost too much and instant noodles are their main choice to fill their stomachs.

“Then there are workers in the big cities who rely on instant noodles come the middle of the month.

“I protested against (GST for noodles) during the debate because this is cruel and was an abuse of poor people. Suddenly, the poor man’s food has been struck with GST,” said Mahfuz in a statement last night.

Mahfuz suspected that Putrajaya had to widen the GST net because public coffers were running dry and that the general election was coming soon.

“It shows how BN handles problems in managing the country’s finances by applying GST on food meant for the poor.

“This is a disaster for Malaysians, because if they want to save the country from bankruptcy, they have to pay GST for instant noodles,” he said.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, whose administration introduced GST in 2015, had claimed that the consumption tax had “saved” Malaysia’s economy.- Mkini