MALAYSIANS do not like paying taxes, and are only keen on food and public holidays, said Prime Minister Najib Razak.

He said the nation’s goods and services tax (GST) was only at 6%, compared with India’s 28%.

“We can’t have higher taxes. Malaysians don’t like to pay more taxes. They only like public holidays and food. They don’t like to pay more,” he told some 2,000 MIC delegates at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

“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.”

He said even though traders were the ones who kept raising the prices of goods, the government was blamed for the higher cost of living.

GST was implemented on April 1, 2015, at a rate of 6%.

It was reported that the Customs Department had collected RM41.2 billion in the tax, exceeding its RM39 billion target last year.

In response to MIC president S. Subramaniam, who had proposed that the Malaysian Indian Blueprint committee come up with an additional financial aid mechanism to support Indian students from low- and middle-income families, Najib said he welcomed feedback on the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) and that the government would conduct a more in-depth study on the issue.

“This is not a problem faced only by the Indian community, but all communities.

“PTPTN has helped many students, especially those from poor families. However, for some fields of study, the aid given is insufficient.” – September 24, 2017.