NGOs opposed to the impending Goods and Services Tax (GST) to be implemented next year are planning to gather at a government expo next week to campaign against it.

 

"The government through its agencies is having a huge GST Expo from Oct 1 to 3 at the KL Convention Centre.

 

"Thus in order to intensify the resistance against GST, the coalition is planning a leafleting campaign on Oct 1 and 2 in front of the KL Convention Centre," said the coalition Jerit yesterday.

 

The group plans to hold their campaign at the main entrance from 12 to 2pm.

"The GST is a rice bowl problem. All of us will be affected. Please assist in intensifying the campaign in anyway you can," said the coalition.

It encouraged others to help distribute the anti-GST flyers nationwide.

"This will actually increase the momentum for the campaign as Budget 2015 is just around the corner," said Jerit.

Despite massive protests against the tax, the government is steamrolling ahead with its implementation on account that it badly needs the additional revenue to boost Putrajaya's ailing finances.

On May 1, over 50,000 took to Dataran Merdeka to protest the tax that critics say will fuel inflation and burden the people, especially in light of numerous subsidy cuts that have taken place since the 13th general election.

The government however was unfazed and pressed on with the implementation, accompanied with public relations exercises over the mass media to hardsell the purported benefits of the new tax.

Following the massive rally, an opinions poll showed that 62 percent of Malaysians surveyed rejected the tax despite the government's publicity campaign.

The Merdeka Centre poll showed only 30 percent of the respondents favouring the tax.