PAKATAN Harapan held its first official ceramah after nomination with the goods and services tax (GST) as the main topic, to the delight of Muar and Bakri voters.

One by one, the candidates for the federal seats of Bakri, Ledang, Muar and Pulai and state seats of Bentayan, Tangkak, Serom, Bukit Naning and Maharani recounted the ways the cost of living has gone up due to GST.

“The government collected more than RM42 billion in GST and only returned RM6.8 billion in the form of BR1M,” said Bukit Naning candidate Md Ysahrudin Kusni tonight.

He said the rest of the GST collection was used to finance the corruption caused by the Barisan Nasional federal government.

Bentayan candidate Ng Yet How cautioned that the GST would go up after the elections.

“A well managed Singapore, which has little corruption, has already decided to increase its GST rate from 7% to 9% in 2021. Do you believe BN will not do the same after GE14?” said Ng.

The candidates also highlighted the multiracial and well-rounded candidates of Pakatan compared with those of BN.

Bakri candidate Yeo Bee Yin brought up the fact that Pakatan had more younger candidates and that the BN cabinet was short of women representatives.

“The cabinet has more than 70 ministers and deputies but out of this only three are women. If you want more women’s voices in government, you have to pick Pakatan,” said the former Damansara Utama state lawmaker.

Pakatan packaged its message as one of unity between all races and ages and its candidates said the general election was the chance to make a change. 

Pulai, Muar and Pagoh candidates Salahudin Ayob, Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman and Muhyiddin Yassin, respectively, took turns to press home this point to the more than 6,000 people who showed up at Bakri last night.

They also blamed caretaker Prime Minister Najib Razak for all the country’s problems today.

“Najib is the most irresponsible PM in 60 years. When Dr Mahathir Mohamad was PM for 22 years, there were minor issues and some people were angry with him. But they weren’t angry with him the way we are with Najib today,” said Muhyiddin to loud cheers.

“This is the time to do this. This a chance of a lifetime to change government and end BN’s rule. The power is in your hands,” said the 70-year-old former deputy prime minister.

“Don’t think too hard about the problems we have today but use this chance to make a change for the better,” said the Bersatu president. – April 29, 2018.