There are tonnes of alternatives to GST

comments     Yoursay     Published     Updated

YOURSAY For a start, cut corruption, leakages and inflated prices for gov’t procurements.

Najib: What is the alternative to GST?

EvenSteven: Corruption, leakages and wastage are causing the government to be always short of funds. The GST takings will be chicken feed compared with the amount lost through the holes in the bucket due to all these practices of the government.

That's the alternative. But I doubt very much you have the will and resolve to tackle these problems. Are you listening, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak?

Swipenter: I think Najib is sleeping and hasn't got a clue as to why we are opposing the implementation of GST. Firstly, we are not opposing GST for the sake of opposing it or that it is an initiative from Umno Baru/BN.

The less than sterling state of our economy is due to poor and misguided fiscal and monetary policies on the part of the government. You have not addressed these issues:

1)    Corruption on a massive scale;

2)    Huge wastage and leakages;

3)    Huge illicit capital outflow;

4)    Unproductive programmes such as the BRIM;

5)    Huge borrowings to cover for unproductive spending;

6)    Inflationary pressures due to loose monetary policies and corruption;

7)    Stagnant and/or declining spending power of the ringgit; and

8)    Lopsided privatisation agreements and rent seeking activities.

All these cost us billions and billions of ringgit down the drain or into some people's pockets, but add to the burden of the rakyat. Tackle these issues seriously first, then we will back rationalisation of subsidies and the GST.

Anomnim: The alternative is to vote into power a clean government that is willing to reduce waste - a bitter pill the current government doesn't seem to want to take.

Clever voter: Najib is one lucky politician. The Introduction of unpopular taxes has brought down governments in United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, etc.

He should count himself lucky that electorate have made their feelings loud and clear in a peaceful and orderly manner. But by continuing to ignore and to spend lavishly, the electorate has no alternative but to vote the BN out of office.

Anak Perak: Najib: What is the alternative for GST? Well, Najib, the alternative for GST is cut all the corruption, inefficiency, cronyism, etc.

Lynn Cheang: Step down if you don't know. For a start, cut down the annual electricity bill for your official residence, which cost taxpayers RM20 million a year. Let the whole place be in darkness. Plug the leakages of RM20 billion. Be efficient.

Show us the whole government machinery is adopting frugal measures before you even dare to burden 80 percent of us who don't even qualify to pay income tax with GST. Don't waste precious resources by the billions in giving the useless BR1M.

Fair and Open: The alternative is for the Najib administration get out of Putrajaya and the rakyat will prosper. Otherwise Malaysia will go from broke now to being bankrupt, like Greece.

Ipohcrite: The alternative is to stop the leakages, wastage and inflated prices for government procurements and the way the government does business with crony parties like independent power producers, highway toll concessionaires, etc. Trouble is, Najib, you are not listening to the rakyat.

Fairnsquare: The GST is a good revenue earner for the government and a tool to discourage lavish spending by the public.

The benefits of the revenue derived by the GST must be explained to the public and they must also get an assurance that the government is serious about curbing corruption and cronyism.

The revenue derived must be enjoyed by all races, equally, and not by any selected group. With these assurances, the GST will slowly earn the support of the people.

This is a process and cannot be achieved by demanding support from any quarter.

The GST is inevitable as it is practised by most developed nations. It met with negative responses initially. Its benefits will overcome its negative factors and the government's sincerity in sharing with all, and not just the selected majority, will go a long way.

The PM must focus on this, rather than condemn the opposition, which will support the current anti-GST sentiments. That is the direction any opposition will take.

James1067: The alternatives have already been presented to you by the people and the opposition. It seems that you are purposely trying to not hear their pleas. Or you have no power to stop the wastage, inflation, leakages and all forms of corruption.

This is 2014 and the people are well informed. Threats by using religion or the law will not work when the people find it difficult to feed their families.

Stop the irregularities and instead of feeding a few loyal friends and cronies, use these funds to instead provide better salaries, cheaper housing, education and better quality medical facilities for the masses.

The warnings are written on the wall for you to see as 2018 is not far away. The turnout by 80 percent of the Malay population at the recent anti-GST rally tells you that they will be the worst hit. The ball is in your court.

Nonbeliever: Arrest all the corrupt and the GST becomes unnecessary. The GST will generate more money for the corrupt to plunder. Men and the gods will just keep quiet. This is the truth that even the gods cannot deny.

Peacemaker: The alternative to GST is the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission catching all the thieving BN leaders and their cronies and forcing them to a long spell in jail after making them cough up all they looted from the national treasury.

Next in line should be heads of department who have been specially mentioned in the Auditor-General's Report for profligate spending and outright recklessness in spending government funds. Fix these two problems and the country's finances will return to an even keel.

Fair Play: Dear PM, you asked, 'What is the alternative to GST? What a question. It's only goes to show that the government of the day has no clue at all, when the idea was mooted under intense scrutiny from the global rating agencies.

Now, with every likelihood of more nationwide protests by those most affected (the lower income group) you chose the easy way out by blaming the Opposition.

How could the Opposition have staged the May 1 protest without 50,000-plus participation from the rakyat? Why don’t you organise a pro-GST rally and see how many will attend, instead of blaming the Opposition?

Spinnot: Malaysia already has sales tax, just like the United States, which also doesn't have GST. The alternatives to GST are good governance - more transparency, less corruption, less wastage.

Cocomomo: 1. Cut the bloated civil service, say by 50 percent, and increase salaries of the remaining 50, by say 20 percent, to motivate performance.

2. Have a performance based civil service.

3. Open tenders without corruption. Corruption has a very substantial, negative impact on the economy. Of course, many politicians in power may not be happy, since their sources of tax-free income will be gone.


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