'Why enforce taxes affecting ordinary rakyat but delay those for the rich?'

 

Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz has questioned why taxes affecting ordinary people have been implemented while those affecting the rich have been delayed.

The high-value goods tax (HVGT) has yet to be put into practice while the sales and service tax (SST) has not only been implemented but widened in scope, the Puteri Wangsa statesperson said in a statement.

"The question is, why is Madani so passionate about taxing the rich but lacking in effort and flexibility to do the same to the rich?” she said of the coalition government.

Yesterday, Bernama reported the Finance Ministry as saying that it is engaging with stakeholders to finalise details of the HVGT.

The HVGT was supposed to be tabled at the recently concluded Dewan Rakyat session to enable implementation by May.

The SST was increased to eight percent from the previous six percent effective March 1.

The government also previously introduced a 10 percent low-value goods tax (LVG) for online sales (e-commerce), an eight percent digital services tax (DST), as well as a 10 percent capital gains tax (CGT).

Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the new taxes during the presentation of Budget 2024 late last year as part of the government’s efforts to improve the country’s financial resilience while reducing its budget deficit.

‘Be fair, equal’

Amira said the new taxes will have huge impacts on the majority of consumers.

"These are all taxes that will have the biggest impact on the majority of consumers in Malaysia, which is the group stuck in an environment of small wages, few job opportunities and cost of living not being commensurate with income.

"The affluent and buyers of luxury and high-value goods? Keep it on hold. Only later,” she lamented.

Amira said the youth party is not against taxes in general, but opposes taxes that affect only the ordinary people.

“If you want to tax, then tax. But let it be fair and equal,” she said.

The real economic backbone is not tycoons, but workers and ordinary people, she added. - Mkini