Wawasan Negara info chief says no shame in reintroducing GST, suggests calling it 'Cukai Madani'

 

PARLIAMENT | Parti Wawasan Negara information chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has urged the government to consider reintroducing the goods and services tax (GST), which the Pakatan Harapan government scrapped in 2018, as part of broader tax reform efforts.

The Machang MP also pointed out that Harapan had previously ridiculed GST when it was introduced during the administration of former premier Najib Abdul Razak, but argued that this should not prevent it from reviving the tax.

“(The government) doesn’t have to be shy about re-introducing GST, despite it being (mocked) before, with the song ‘ABCD-GST’.

“Perhaps it can be named as ‘Cukai Madani’ and at a lower rate of three percent,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in response to Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir’s explanation regarding the global supply crisis triggered by the United States-Iran conflict.

Given the current situation, Wan Fayhsal argued that the government’s subsidy policy alone is no longer an efficient long-term solution and that the country needs more substantial tax reforms.

He also urged the government to involve opposition members in crafting a framework to address economic challenges, in line with a whole-of-government approach.

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Nasir

Earlier, the Wawasan Negara lawmaker also reprimanded Akmal for using the term “conflict” instead of “illegal war” to describe the US-Iran hostilities.

“About the (US-Iran situation), it is a war that is taking place. It is an illegal one because the US had attacked Iran without any case of retaliation, without any reasonable cause, and Iran retaliating is a legal matter under international law,” he added.

Nuclear power

Wan Fayhsal also urged the government to adopt a precise and accurate approach to the country’s sovereignty and called for the launch of Malaysia’s first nuclear power generation development plan.

“To create nuclear power takes years. If we are still delaying this (plan), in the end, when the economic crisis repeats every 10 years, then we will also be repeating the same old script.

“The people continue to suffer, the government continues to cut the Health Ministry and Education Ministry budgets, which is not right.

“The government should (instead) cut the budget of ministers who go on overseas trips often with a large entourage,” he added. - Mkini