PRIME Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today the current government policies which support import over export need to be changed.

He said such policies are not in the country’s interest and would have to go.

The changes, he said, would entail changing the tax system.

“It will involve the restructuring of taxes involving particular industries,” he said.

He was responding to a question on whether the government would consider tax reductions for the rail industry at the Technomart Rail 2019 showcase in Cyberjaya, today.

Dr Mahathir said while the government could change the policies, it could not force people to buy local.

“You can take the horse to the water but you can’t force it to drink,” he said.

Take local cars, for example, Dr Mahathir said.

Malaysians tend to look down on their own achievements, he said, urging Malaysians to emulate the Japanese people in buying goods and products made in their own country.

“If you prefer local products, over time the quality of the products will improve, but if you don’t encourage local products and you buy imports, there is no opportunity for the product to be of international standard.” – Bernama, April 16, 2019.