PRIME Minister Najib Razak should not make light of the people’s difficulties with the rising cost of living by telling them not to complain, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

Najib, as the nation’s leader, should lead by answering their concerns, instead of alluding that people liked to complain about the goods and services tax (GST) as the reason for the higher prices.

“Today, we see newspapers reporting in their front pages that the federal government is telling the people not to make noise about the GST.

“The federal government says the GST is good for the nation and that other countries charge GST at higher rates. Ours is just 6%. 

“It is improper to behave like this. When the people are complaining that life has become harder – business more challenging and wage-earners don’t have enough to spend – they tell the people to shut up.

“These are not leaders of the people. They are GST leaders,” Lim told reporters in Penang today.

The DAP secretary-general was referring to Najib’s remarks at an MIC delegates’ gathering in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, where he said Malaysians did not like paying taxes and only liked food and public holidays. He also compared Malaysia’s GST with India’s at 28%.

“GST in India is at 28%, please remember that. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, there is a great hue and cry raised over the 6% GST. Anger is directed at the government,” Najib said.

He also said businesses were the ones increasing their prices, but it was the government that was blamed for the higher cost of living.

The GST was implemented on April 1, 2015. It collected RM39 billion last year and RM41.2 billion this year. 

Lim said Najib should learn from other countries which introduced the GST at a lower rate before increasing it gradually.

The opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan has pledged to do away with the GST if it takes Putrajaya in the next general election. – September 25, 2017.