Updated:
Hantu Laut, who's in Nepal where the GST is 13% and prices of goods are way more expensive than in Malaysia, is now convinced that his fellow Malaysians are a truly spoilt and ungrateful lot. (Shame on you, Malaysians!):
"They complained about everything from the prices of fuel to the price of their underwear, when we are one of the cheapest in the world.Try figure out how wasteful and useless Malaysians are when come to saving. Our household debt was 87% of GDP in 2013, in the top 10 in the world. They never stop complaining and whining about how expensive everything are, but are awful wasters and gas guzzlers themselves, want everything cheap and free, spoilt by years of government subsidies.Just 6% GST, they make so much noise, like the world falling apart on them.
The irony, the biggest squanderers are not the poor, but the middle class and the wealthy .., and so are those, who ceaselessly complaining, the same group of people.Shame on you Malaysians!"
Original Article
[Do check out the Portal Islam dan Melayu www.ismaweb.net for the Bahasa Melayu translation of my posting below, Anda boleh pindah kenegara tiada GST ...
Happy GST, Malaysia! Today, our beloved nation joins more than 160 other countries that have already applied the Goods and Services Tax to their tax structure. Why is it that 80 per cent of the nations in the world have gotten GST? I dunno, maybe it has proven to be a fairer and more effective form of taxation? If that's so, why then are those politicians saying GST will be bad for us and the nation, that revenues for GST will be used to pay the government's mounting debts, etc? Well, simply because those tax evaders will be able to evade no more. I suspect an unholy alliance between those politicians and some of the major tax evaders in the systematic and holistic attack on the GST these past few months.
In any case, if you choose to trust those politicians, here's the good news for you: 40-odd countries have yet to implement the GST. In Southeast Asia, there are two left: Brunei and Myanmar. A little further away, there's North Korea. A host of African countries are GST-free so you will be spoilt for choice: Angola, Eritrea, Somalia, etc. So if you truly are convinced that GST is the end of good things and your fine living in Malaysia, check out those non-GST countries h e r e for possible migration in the near future.
p.s. I don't mind Cuba myself, actually.
For the rest of us, here's the deal:
UP. Some good things are going to be more expensive from today, no doubt. Six per cent more expensive. Those who love their drinks at the pubs and hotels, for example, will be needing more of those shots because they will be paying more for everything: beers, single malt, wine, tidbits. Even the mineral water at your neighbourhood pub will cost 6% more. So stop drinking or buy from the 7-Eleven.
Your Iphone will be more expensive. Fags cost 50 sen more = RM14 for a packet of 20.
DOWN. But not everything will go up; in fact, prices of many goods and services will be cheaper. Our national car, Proton, will cost less. Even CKD Honda and Toyota will be cheaper from today. No increase in fuel prices at the pump for April. Big bikers, rejoice, cause I hear that those mean machines are going to be less mean when it comes to their price tag, thanks to GST! My Triumph mates are already defiining GST as Gua Suka Triumph or I Love Triumph in anticipation of more savings when one buys a Triple or Tiger!
UNCHANGED. A long list of stuff will remain unchanged with GST, including basic food items and some 4,000 types of medicines/medication.
You can Google for more info. It doesn't cost more to Google, I think.
Thanks to Big Dog for attaching this clip to his latest posting, Divine.
p.s. Some businesses will take advanage of GST to up their prices when they shouldn't. These are profiteers and these leeches will try to make more from you any chance they get. They can be fined up to RM200,000 if found guilty, so don't hesitate to tell on them.
READ ALSO: First Day of GST by Economics Malaysia:
…and the world hasn’t ended. Car prices have even come down, as predicted (so will furniture, and quite a few imported manufactured goods). There will no doubt be teething troubles along the way, but Malaysia’s most significant tax reform in a generation is now established. But confusion abounds. Take this article from yesterday ...
READ ALSO: First Day of GST by Economics Malaysia:
…and the world hasn’t ended. Car prices have even come down, as predicted (so will furniture, and quite a few imported manufactured goods). There will no doubt be teething troubles along the way, but Malaysia’s most significant tax reform in a generation is now established. But confusion abounds. Take this article from yesterday ...
i got taxed 15 cents more for my meehoon that i bought from petronas this morning. how do we even know what is taxed or not?
ReplyDeletePity dough as AI should have implemented during his FInance Minister days..
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right that people who are opposed to the GST can immigrate to countries that have no GST.
ReplyDeleteBut the question here is why is GST being introduced in Malaysia and where is the revenue raised going to ? Malaysia is supposed to have in abundance of natural resources and most of all heaven sent black gold. Just because 160 other countries are having GST, it doesn't mean it is right for Malaysia to do have GST. Please don't forget that 160 wrongs don't make one right, and also don't forget not all those countries are blessed with black gold, at least for now.
Also why aren't we following these countries not to have capital punishment and sedition indictments like in Malaysia ?
Or is this just the beginning of the end ?
You silly old fool, we will topple the government and make Malaysia another country without GST. Ini macam pon tak erti ke ?
ReplyDeleteBRAVO!!
ReplyDeleteGst is agood and fair tax as it is tax based on comsumption and therefore encourage own to be more prudent and be wise in spending.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in Malaysia should support Gst and salute our PM for being brave to implement it. It might be an unpopular tax at first be later on it would prove useful in nation building and help manage the country better.
Dato Zulkifli Zainal Azim
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
I concur...
Deletethose who oppose, read a little more and understand.
yada...yada...yada... oh btw how come some of those countries which implement GST still has a lot of poor people..eg indonesia? it is all about how the gomen manageg the money and looking at the current situation in Malaysia, it is not wrong for the public to be sceptical.
ReplyDeleteCAN i ask why USA who does not have GST... u fail to mention it...
ReplyDeleteCHINA
INDIA (at the moment use VAT)
Why Whyyyyyy???
Mengapa????
If the sales and service tax on a beer in a pub is removed and is replaced with 6% GST, would the drink cost more or less?
ReplyDeleteIts Uzbeks, Turkministan n Azerbaijan for the ladies, man.
ReplyDeleteMat Bonk
/// Why is it that 80 per cent of the nations in the world have gotten GST? I dunno, maybe it has proven to be a fairer and more effective form of taxation? ///
ReplyDeleteFairer - no. In fact, it is very regressive and taxes the poor and those low income earner who previously do not have to pay income tax.
Effective - definitely. It catches everyone who make purchases. Best of all, it is the merchants who have to install the gadgets, do all collections and have the money to the government. Neat, huh?
Not so much of the tax issues but how the money was spent, corruptions and leakages in the government administration but the poor rakyat are suffering while the riches gets away
ReplyDeleteRocky,
ReplyDeleteKalau dah tak dapat migrate for obvious reasons tak payah lah nak cakap hal migration.
Penjilat tak diterima dinegara negara maju OK?
ReplyDeleteThere are some pretty good GST clarifications going around via whatsap. Among them written by Wahid Omar.
There's also articles eg by Chan Quan Min - giving clear, unemotional explanations and guides.
One very compelling reason for GST was that it would correctly tax every consuming member of the public including the hundreds of thousands migrant workers.
As for the GST-naysayers, whether they be Indian, Malay, Chinese, Other races - we must always ignore all 'tin kosongs'.
If GST is a fairer tax, then scrap the income tax la Bro... Is it fair when the consumers ended up bearing the 6% increase not the retaers or wholesalers.
ReplyDeleteyour boss trying to oust your other boss....macam mana bro?
ReplyDeleteBN+GST=BANGST
ReplyDeleteDap+pigs=dapigs
DeleteY...
Roki Biru,
ReplyDelete"Hardest-Working Man In Showbusiness"...
lol...
Hi.
ReplyDeleteNot related to post but,
Just wish Najib answers Tun's comments w/o character assasination.
Apa susah sangat?
GST is not a main issue when comes to beneficiary of all malaysian and country. The replacement of taxing system is good at flat rate of 6% a cross the board. What's public concern is how traders and retailer manipulating the actual facts of the prices. Indeed, we can see infront of our faces the prices game now neither the manufacturer nor it connecting system. Don't judge on surface how bad malaysian are? Overall prices should be lower compare to SST tax system from 5% to 15% before and generally GST will increase marginally when time comes. But what is happening now it totally contra from actual facts. Malaysian are not that stupid to comments unless there is a facts in between....may government and it's agency take action on the culprits instantly
ReplyDeleteGST + Grab Steal & Take from the poor tax.
ReplyDeleteWhy should a labourer pay the same tax as a menteri when he buys something? If you don't get this, I cannot help you.