COMMENT | Telling us to eat local bananas just won't cut it

COMMENT | I like eating apples and pears. Apparently, these fruits contain elements that can help lower cholesterol.

On average, I eat one apple and one pear a day, and that, combined with oats and milk, will hopefully keep me away from the dreaded statin.

However, there could be a bit of a problem because the sales and service tax (SST) is going to be imposed on imported fruits. How then will I be able to afford to eat one apple and one pear a day?

Don’t get me wrong. I love local fruits. Durian and cempedak are my favourites. I know they don’t have cholesterol, but they are high in calories, which means eating one durian and one cempedak will probably make me look like Professor Klump.

So I am really hoping that the government will reevaluate the SST for imported fruits, as mentioned by the deputy prime minister. But jokes aside, I do know that there are many local fruits that are very healthy and good for consumption.

It should also be noted that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently said the SST on imported fruits will no longer be applied to apples and oranges after public backlash.

Corruption no longer the top concern

So I recently read the reports on the Merdeka Center’s latest approval ratings for the government.

Overall, I’m sure you would have also read that the ratings for the  Madani government and the prime minister have increased.

It also shows that more Malaysians are slowly more convinced that the country is heading in the right direction.

The percentage increase is small, but at least there has been an increase in how Malaysians think it is improving. Well, good for them.

What interested me the most was the issues that Malaysians are now prioritising when it comes to governance.

If we look at the times around 2018 when BN finally lost power after more than 60 years, things have changed.

Back then, the most important issue that all Malaysians were collectively concerned with and wanted action to be taken about was corruption.

Of course, at that time, the 1MDB scandal involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak was a hot topic.

Inflation, economy take the cake

Eight years have gone by, and several changes in government later, it looks like corruption is no longer the number-one priority of Malaysians. It is still among the top five issues, but it has dropped significantly in that top five list.

The number one issue that we are all concerned with now is inflation, followed quite distantly by economic growth and also relatively distantly by corruption. What does this say about the country?

Does it mean corruption has been dealt with? Well, not really because it is still the number three concern of Malaysians, but I guess we’re heading in the right direction, as shown by the survey results, and personally, I feel the same way.

The point here is that the cost of living and the economy will always have a direct effect on the people compared to any other issue out there.

I mean, we all need to eat to survive and to eat, we need to be able to buy food.

If the cost of the food that we eat starts going up and our wages continue to stay the same, then the buying power of our money starts to decrease.

That’s when the people will really be upset, even more upset than when some leader steals money.

So the prime minister and his Madani government need to come up with more ways to appease the people, to control inflation, and improve the economy.

Chicken-and-egg situation

In a way, the SST on imported fruits is a reasonable solution. It is reasonable because it isn’t broad-based taxation, where everyone has to pay.

If it is too expensive, then you can decide to opt for cheaper alternatives. It helps increase the government’s revenue, but also is not too taxing on the less fortunate.

However, the government needs to be strategic in what they impose the SST on because if they suddenly tax things that are widely and commonly consumed, there is going to be a backlash, as seen in the imported fruits issue.

That’s not the only problem because imposing new and additional taxes when the economy and salaries are stagnant is a recipe for disaster, especially if you want the people to be on your side.

It’s a chicken-and-egg situation because for the government to improve the economy, they need to increase their revenue so they can implement measures to boost it. But this will reduce the spending power and disposable income of the people.

It is a tough situation to be in if I were the government, but it also means that Malaysians are demanding more of the government that they have picked, and rightfully so.

For the Madani government, they need to strategise better.

If they want to impose more taxes, then also show us how you plan to spend the money and how that will bring a positive change for the economy and the people.

Simply telling us to eat local bananas instead of imported ones just won’t cut it.

ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

COMMENT | Fruit is Madani's new political weapon

Samenta welcomes revision to expanded SST as relief for SMEs

After apples and oranges, MOF says no tax on beauty services

Exempt SST on mandarins, dates during festive seasons, says PJ MP

After avocado backlash, PM now says apples, oranges will be SST-free

'Tax ultra-rich, not burden the poor,' ex-MP tells Treasury sec-gen