LUMUT: The government is not ready to reintroduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as it would affect all segments of society, particularly the poor, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said GST is a broad-based tax that would be applied uniformly to all consumers, regardless of income, including fishermen, smallholders, or street cleaners.
“GST taxes everybody. While it is efficient and straightforward, just six per cent across the board, I must ask, if everyone has to pay six per cent, why should the poor and the unemployed be taxed as well?” he said when closing the Perak MADANI Rakyat Programme (PMR) 2025 here today.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Anwar said that although the opposition has suggested GST as a better option, the government has chosen to postpone its implementation to avoid burdening the people, who are still struggling with the rising cost of living.
“That’s why we say we’re not ready for GST. If, one day, the economy improves and the minimum wage reaches RM4,000 or more, then by all means, implement GST. But for now, I’m calling for it to be postponed, don’t turn it into a political issue,” he said.