ANALYSIS Tell BN lawmakers or ministers that the goods and services tax (GST) is bad, and there's a good chance they would reply: “If you don't like it, vote us out in the next election.”

Well, the time to put that retort to the test is coming, with the GST expected to be an important factor in the looming Sarawak state election.

Unlike concerns over 1MDB, which pundits say are limited to urban areas, the rising cost of living affects everyone, whether they live in a longhouse in the interiors or in houses and apartments in the towns and cities.

“Most people are affected by bread and butter issues. Pressures on life outweigh 1MDB or the RM2.6 billion scandal,” Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) professor Jeniri Amir told Malaysiakini ...