A straw poll at a popular hypermarket today revealed that most shoppers expect to tighten their belts in view of the implementation of goods and services tax (GST) today.

Met at the hypermarket in Subang Jaya today, housewife Tey Guat Eng who is in her late forties   said she would purchase only necessary items and opt for cheaper items.

"At the moment, expenses will go up. I think I will buy only what I need and also (opt for) items on special promotions," she said.

Tey, who spends about RM200 weekly on groceries, said that she will need to adjust her household expenditure.

She also expects that GST will burden the people, in particular the old folks who have low or no income. 

Peggy Parvathy, a part-timer in her sixties, said she will alternate between hypermarkets which offer low goods' prices.

"Sometimes I shop here or the hypermarket next door...There are things cheaper there but fresh items are cheaper here," she said.

Despite disclosing that there won't be much changes in her household expenditure, Peggy believed that GST would burden the lower-income groups.

"Goods' prices have increased but why not our salaries?" she asked.

Less entertainment, more diapers

Khairul Nor Afendy, a father of two told Malaysiakini that his family would spend less on entertainment due to GST.

"I have just stocked up baby diapers yesterday at another shopping center which was running a sales," he added.

Some shoppers expressed surprised when they were told that a hypermarket in the area announced that they will absorb the GST charges.

"That's so thoughtful of them. If they has no GST, then I might go there. You know housewives usually go for sales," Tey said.

Another shopper who wished to be known only as Madam Chong said saving RM12 when buying RM200 worth of goods affected by GST was substantial.

"We are consumers, of course we will think like this," she said.

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