PARLIAMENT It looks like the government is still hoping to push through its controversial Goods and Services Tax (GST), as the bill remains a permanent fixture of Parliament’s order paper.

The order paper shows that the GST is the last of eight bills up for second reading, having been left on the list despite strong protests since it was first mooted last year.

dr awang adek hussin Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Hussein ( right ) acknowledged that the government has never taken it off the list, but noted that it will not necessarily be tabled in this meeting.

“The bill is at the bottom and the House will need to clear the earlier bills first. If there are new bills, those will jump the queue so we are not sure when it will be tabled,” he said at the parliament lobby today.

When pressed for a date however, Awang Adek gave an assurance that the government will “educate” the people and civil servants before the bill is tabled.

Liew Chin Tong (DAP-Bukit Bendera) pointed out that even after all that explaining, it still looks like the government is hoping to push the bill through without any changes.

azlan In a tweet, he said all MPs even received copies of the GST Bill on their tables in Parliament, fuelling speculation that the government is planning to bulldoze the bill through with no changes.

When contacted later, Liew said his fears are not helped by recent news reports, quoting Awang Adek as saying that the government wants to pass this bill.

“The main reason we are opposed to it is because there are many ways and many sources to increase government revenue. If the government curbs corruption, there is no need for the GST for now.

“We urge the Prime Minister to make the government’s stand clear, on whether or not it wants to push this bill in his Budget speech this Friday,” he said referring to Premier Najib Abdul Razak’s Budget 2011 this Friday.