Najib a failure for claiming GST is vital, says Amanah leader

Amin Iskandar Amin Iskandar Updated 8 years ago · Published on 5 Sep 2017 2:47PM · 4 Comments

Khalid Samad (standing, back row, centre) with Parti Amanah Negara leaders at the press conference at its headquarters today.– The Malaysian Insight pic, September 5, 2017.

PRIME Minister Najib Razak’s claim that the government would be in trouble without the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an admission that he has failed to manage the economy, a Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader said today. 

Amanah communications director Khalid Samad said the current economic downturn in Malaysia was because of Najib’s failure in financial management. 

“Thank you, Najib, for admitting that our country’s economy is collapsing and can only be saved by GST.

“When he said GST is the saviour of country’s economy, it means that the economy is really bad and the formula to save it is GST, by taxing the people,” the Shah Alam MP said at a press conference in the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today. 

Speaking at the TN50 dialogue with women in conjunction with National Women’s Day in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Najib said GST was a source of revenue and without it, most of the programmes proposed by the audience could not be executed.

“I am not kidding you, I am not fooling you. I am the minister of finance, I know if we minus RM42 billion from the country’s revenue, you will be at a standstill and the government will be dysfunctional,” he said yesterday. 

The opposition has vowed to abolish GST if it came into power.

Khalid said instead of taxing the rakyat, Putrajaya should find other formulas to increase the country’s revenue, such as by looking at ways to grow production and productivity.

“This is not a responsible approach. PH has better methods.”

PKR strategy director Sim Tze Tzin said Najib’s remarks on GST should be considered an insult to women as they were the ones managing their family’s finances, like doing the grocery shopping.

He said GST added burden on women, especially with the stagnant wage growth in recent years.

Amanah strategy director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government had to implement GST due to Najib’s failure in financial management, citing the 1Malaysia Development Berhad and Felda scandals as examples.

“On behalf of PH, I reiterate our intention to abolish GST if we manage to take control of the government,” said the former Kuala Selangor MP. – September 5, 2017.

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Comments

  • Najib may be a fool to admit that GST helps to off load some of his failure in financial administration BUT it would be PH follies to do away the GST. We are no more in the early days of backwater developement where incoming taxation are enough to manage the small populations and less demanding developement. I still have yet to figure the boldness of PH in affirming the abolishment of GST and revert to S&S taxes to alleviate the Government financial spending. Most of the developed nations are into it in many forms and Malaysia are not a nation bless to exempted as the impetus to move forward as a high income country are very demanding in every aspect of managing the economy pie. PH do not have the luxury to be forgiven when the financial managing of the country goes aground. Selling on such vociferous empty rhetoric and presuming that existing set up of financial system will be adequate do not actually reflects PH has a firm grip on an alternate or contigency plan for social and economic approach. The country is evolving to be in tandem with the external ecomic factors of other nation and what more worse is that now being hasten to bankrupcy by the current regime do not really helps. The kleptocractic Government is no help to abate the impending implosion of the structured and fortitied old economic plan. Be smart do not do away but lessen the percentage of GST and go in phases as per the country masses ability and capability to absorp the rates. Fast gun BUT no bullets yo die!11

    Posted 8 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Pakatan why dont you come up with a comprehensive plan on how to compensate the income lost due to the global economic slow down if you are against GST. India recently implemented GST, so its economy must be in a very bad situation by your logic. Your chairman TDM himself said GST will be replaced by similar tax system so by just changing the name you solve the problem ? Personally at the end of the day if Pakatan win Putrajay they will maintain GST, with an excuse that the goverment coffer is depleted by BN's bad management, same strategy as the current Penang state government's policy of blaming the previous administration for not being able to implement their election promises. Pakatan also planning to introduce subsidy for petrol and diesel prices which is a step backward. Promises are easy to make when you are not in power. Keeping the promises when you are elected is a very different story. Trump's Wall is a great example..

    Posted 8 years ago by Mofaz mofaz · Reply

  • All the critics against Pakatan about GST do not get it - they know getting rid of GST is not the smart. BUT they need the vote of the delusional. Someone suggest a way to get the votes of the delusional and they have a right to say Pakatan is wrong.

    Posted 8 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

    • Bigjoe , I beg to differ on this. Ain't it better for PH to be honest and claim on a reduction scale GST rather than a flat dismiss of GST . It will be appetising and forgivable rather than no GST and when hard hit on financial dilema, there is no way out but a review in increase on existing system of taxes will create a much bigger hatred for PH and only a single term Government is what the rakyat will give them.

      Posted 8 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply