We did without GST then, we can do without it now, says Dr Mahathir

Gan Pei Ling Gan Pei Ling Updated 6 years ago · Published on 17 Mar 2018 7:01AM · 11 Comments

Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad reiterates the opposition will abolish the tax which is an unnecessary burden on the people. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, March 17, 2018.

MALAYSIA was able to develop rapidly and fund mega projects without the benefit of the goods and services tax (GST) in the past, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The Pakatan Harapan chairman said the GST continued to be unnecessary today as without it the current government was still collecting four times as much revenue as  the government of his time.

“The government claims it doesn’t have enough money and that’s why it needs to collect GST from everyone. This has caused the cost of living to go up and shops to close.

“But actually, the government has more money than ever. The government’s revenue is four times as much now – before, it collected RM50 billion, now it gets RM220 billion.

“Why is the government still complaining that it doesn’t have enough money to manage the country?” said Dr Mahathir at a ceramah attended by about 1,000 Felda settlers at Gunung Besout 1, Tanjung Malim, last night.

Dr Mahathir was prime minister from 1981 to 2003. The GST was introduced in April 2015.

Without the GST, he said, Malaysia was able to fund large-scale infrastructure projects, including the North-South Expressway, Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang and the Penang Bridge, as well as upgrade Port Klang.

“We don’t promise what we cannot fulfil. We will abolish the GST.

“(Prime Minister) Najib Razak said the government wouldn’t have money without GST, (but) before this, without the GST, our country developed rapidly.”

Pakatan Harapan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail promises to reform Felda if the coalition is given the mandate. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, March 17, 2018.

PH deputy president Mohamad Sabu, who spoke earlier, said PH would be able to write-off the settlers’ debts to Felda by plugging the leakages caused by corruption.

He reminded the settlers that the Najib administration was still implicated in several corruption scandals, including one involving Felda.

PH president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail promised the settlers the opposition coalition would reform Felda.

The PH leaders were at the BN fortress to win over the Malays, whose vote is crucial if the opposition is to win Tanjung Malim for the first time, at the general election.

To win the constituency, they need to convince at least 5% of Malay voters in Tanjung Malim to switch over from Barisan Nasional.  – March 17, 2018.

Pakatan Harapan deputy president Mohamad Sabu tells the settlers a new government will be able to generate income to write-off their debts to Felda by plugging the leakages caused by corruption. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, March 17, 2018.
 

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Comments

  • Dr.M's experience talking! Perhaps tycoons like Kuok? ..

    Posted 6 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Dr.M's experience talking! Like a breath of fresh air...Perhaps tycoons like Kuok? ..

    Posted 6 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • we dont need gst we dont need 1MDB.Khazanah and other GLC to competee with the private sector
    lets have a level playing field we also dont need NEP which is no longer new and past its expiry date
    when the government expands its tax base. the available disposable income contracts and consequently investment drops.

    Posted 6 years ago by Satkunabalan Sabaratnam · Reply

  • I think Madhatir is too arrogantly positive that the GST can be easily replaced by old SS tax. If the coffers are still half empty it is still possible but with piling debts seriously to almost a trillion ( but playdown to negate off a panic atmosphere ) couple with nearly empty coffers without tangilble source of income, one can dreadfully fear the truth of bankruptcy. Recouping the stolen loots to replenish the coffers takes time and the GLC are all seen as a washout corporations devoid of wealth to offer much help. In those days during his tenure, corruption are severely controlled and confined to only few a cronies of choice which do not see the sickness in rampage . Basically the civil institutition are fearful to perform any major plundering but not as now where corruptions are epidemically norm in the civil institution. All in the guise of wasteful program of purchase. Frankly most of the economist are not in support of no GST but a revamp of the system and starting at a low percentage to gauge the country economy and also the rakyat abilities to handle the phases of change in the percentage of taxation. This should be a good battle cries make known to Rakyat for acceptance rather than stritcly no GST. Once it is offered as no GST for a populist move and any about turn changes will be met with severe reckoning as human mind can't handle fickleness and return of the hated unwanted GST. Trauma after the trauma of hardship, believe me the Rakyat will not be very forgiving.

    Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • He still thinks people are listening to him. In reality, he is a senile old fool and nobody is listening to him

    Posted 6 years ago by Dennis Madden · Reply

    • At least he speaks it out and allows feedback . The master you are supporting do not even have a clue in wwhat he is doing or dreaming. The fact that we are refuting his proposal is that we are listening and offering counter views to provide inputs. You dullards are just shielding your master blindly.

      Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

    • Yep, you said it right. Just because he got paid pennies, he wants to polish his master's shoes bright and shiny. Sheer stupidity.

      Posted 6 years ago by Brandy henderson · Reply

  • We did it once without needing overseas vacation twice a year either. We did it once without needing one car for hubby and one car wifey or a degree that is going to cost about 150 k each for the kids. It was a different times then and we were a different people then. It would be nice if the pakatan head can show that he understands how the times and people have changed and come up with a plan that is suitable for the people and the times now. People are already wondering whether Dr. Mahathir is too old to lead, and all this talk about turning back the clock to the 1980's to make all our troubles today to go away is just not helping.

    Posted 6 years ago by Nehru Sathiamoorthy · Reply

    • The very fact that he understand the dire consequences of all the scandals created by Jibby is testimonial enough that he is very intouch with what ever is going around and the needs to place action plans. You said he is old but old is gold and like I have mentione earlier the aged wrinkles on his face are non other than war maps and strategies earned thru' years of battle scared experiences. What do a novice like you know the hard journey of Malaysia If going by what you write is alluding to a reasoning of let Jibby be and the problems will be resloved by being silent.

      Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Perhaps, but should we? GST is difficult and costly to implement. Once implemented, it better not to remove it, just reduce it.

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • GST are fine, just reduce it. And please, it is costly so do not remove it and regret later. Think it through.

    Posted 6 years ago by Siti Fatimah · Reply