SHAH ALAM, 1 Apr: A mass rally to oppose the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be held on 1 May in Kuala Lumpur.
The spokesman for the 1 May Assembly Committee, Dr Hatta Ramli, said that the massive demonstration is a referendum of the people to urge the BN Government to cancel the implementation of the tax.
He said the effort to hold the assembly was made, taking into account the success of the massive rally previously organised, including urging to abolish the ISA in 2008.
“Like in (issue of the) ISA previously, after taking for the streets, after 50 years (the government) abolished it,” he said, quoted from Malaysiakini.
Commenting on the number of participants expected to attend the rally, Hatta said that it would definitely be more compared to the rally demanding for the repeal of the ISA.
“The ISA did not affect everyone, only certain people. But the GST affects everyone,” he said.
Other NGOs on the committee include the Youth Solidarity Malaysia, the Coalition for the Repeal of the ISA, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections and the Lower the Cost of Living Movement.
The Bill to implement the GST was presented in Parliament yesterday.
Meanwhile, the PKR Strategy Director, Rafizi Ramli, in the same press conference, stressed that Pakatan Rakyat will continue to fight in the anti-GST campaign and together with other NGOs, provide information on the implementation of the tax.
According to Rafizi, despite acknowledging that the GST is an effective tax system, it is not suitable to be implemented in Malaysia.
“The GSR is suitable for implementation in high-income countries or is very low. In high-income countries they reduce income tax but the household spending and the GST is still the same.
“Not in Malaysia where many hidden taxes are incurred. Household debt is at the rate of 82 percent,” he said.
Thus, he concluded that this assembly is a continuation of the same matter fought by Pakatan over the years.
“Since 2009 we have fought in Parliament and we have fought in the streets. If we can fight in court, we will do so,” he added.
