You're nowhere near Karpal Singh, Khairy tells Rayer

PARLIAMENT | Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) lost his cool after RSN Rayer (Harapan-Jelutong) repeatedly interrupted him in the Dewan Rakyat with questions on the ex-prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor and the superyacht Equanimity.

While debating the Goods and Services Tax (Repeal) Bill 2018, Khairy stressed that the GST was a more efficient system than the Sales and Services Tax (SST).

Rayer then interrupted, asking: "If it's more efficient, did Pekan's wife pay GST for all the goods that she brought in?... It was valued at RM60 million".

Najib Abdul Razak (BN-Pekan) was not in the house. Rayer appeared to be referring to the jewellery a Lebanese jeweller had provided to Rosmah to consider for purchase.

Khairy then stated that it appeared that Rayer was trying to live up to the name of the late DAP chairperson Karpal Singh, who was the Jelutong MP from 1978 to 1999.

"Jelutong is my friend, but since he became an MP he seems desperate to become like the late Karpal, the previous Jelutong MP.

"My friend, I have had the honour of being in this Dewan with Karpal Singh and you are nowhere near him," he said.

Rayer responded by saying that none can rival Karpal, and insisted that Khairy answer his question if he was "a man".

"As per your allegation, this matter must first be established in the court of law. You are making assumptions," said Khairy as Rayer protested.

'Fix, don't abolish GST'

Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon (photo) then intervened to point out that Khairy has the floor and urged him to continue.

Khairy stressed that the GST system allows the government to keep an eye on the entire supply chain.

"This is because they have to declare them to the government," he said.

However, Rayer interjected again, this time asking if GST was paid for the superyacht Equanimity, believed to have been acquired by businessperson Low Taek Jho using funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.

Khairy finally lost his cool and lashed out at Rayer.

"Really? Really? If this is the quality of debate you might as well pack up. Okay? Sit down," he said.

In his debate, Khairy urged the government to fix the weaknesses in the GST system instead of doing away with it.

He said this can include improvements to the refund mechanism, reducing the rate and expanding the exemption list.

Meanwhile, Tony Pua (Harapan-Damansara) when debating the bill, said a low rate of GST with a large exemption list was not efficient, due to the high cost incurred by the government and businesses under the tax. -Mkini