Don’t be like a husband scolding the wife at home, Najib told

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has been urged not to be like a husband scolding his wife when certain quarters complain about the implementation of the six percent goods and services tax (GST).

“This is like husbands telling their wives not to complain in the home. He cannot act like that; if we do not have enough money, we would surely complain, but he says we are only making noises,” Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today.

“If Najib really wants to help the poor, do not implement GST, especially on those – including state governments – who build low-cost houses, public roads, markets, halls and hawker centres.

“Better still, just abolish the GST!” he said to loud cheers from participants who attended a balloting event for low-cost houses in Tanjung Tokong.

Lim added that Najib has turned a deaf ear to such requests on reforming or abolishing the tax.

“In which case, we also do not want to hear him, as he is not the people’s leader but the leader of GST,” he said.

Traders blamed for hiking prices

Lim was responding Najib’s statement that people "make noise about (GST) and get angry at the government," despite being relatively low if compared to India’s 28 percent GST.

Najib laid the blame on all traders, not the government, for increasing the prices of goods and services.

At the MIC annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Najib told the participants that there are "165 countries in the world (that implement the GST), with India at 28 percent, so Indian Malaysians cannot complain.”

Lim said that although Malaysia’s GST was only at six percent when compared to that of other countries, its implementation has nevertheless burdened the people.

He said it was well-known that in all countries, the GST rate has only increased, not lowered, over time, and its implementation has caused a rise in the cost of goods and services.

He cited the case of neighbouring Singapore, which initially imposed a three percent GST rate, but has since almost doubled the tax to seven percent.

“In Malaysia, we do not know whether if GST continues to be imposed, it will rise to 10 percent,” he said.

Why GST on non-profit projects?

Lim also queried why citizens were accused of “making noise” when they opposed the GST and the higher cost of goods.

“Don’t talk of the private sector. Even state governments are subjected to GST when we build public roads, drains and halls, which are non-profitable,” he said.

Lim insisted that the GST is not the solution to improve the country's economy or the lives of its citizens.

“The state government does not impose GST in Penang, but still we can carry out many projects, like setting up an RM500 million fund to build 27,300 low-cost and low-medium cost houses,” he said.

“How can we do it even without GST? How can we have the money? Every year we have a surplus, unlike the federal government.

“It's easy, for we are not corrupt. This has been proven in our nine years of rule in the state by clean leaders,” Lim said.

“We have reduced our debt by 90 percent. No state in the country has such a small debt.

“This is why we have been described by The Edge Daily as the 'least stressed state.' We are proud of the label, but we will not be complacent and will continue to make Penang a clean, safe and green state,” he added.- Mkini