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KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan Leaders Are Unfazed Over Barisan Nasional's "Shadow Budget" which boasts a proposal to reintroduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 3%, saying the previous government had more than 60 years to bring beneficial policies to Malaysians.
Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Azmin said that the proposal to reintroduce the GST is no longer an issue, as it was replaced by the Sales and Service Tax (SST) by the Pakatan Government.
"If Barisan wants to put forward its manifesto or its proposals, it 's entirely up to Malaysians whether they want to accept it or not.
"We do not burden the people, especially those in the B40 group," he said to reporters when at the Parliament building on Thursday (Nov 1).
With an effective taxation system, Azmin said the government would be able to stop leakage and wastage of public funds.
He said the government would not consider Barisan's proposal to reintroduce the GST at a lower rate than the SST.
Meanwhile, Khalid Abdul Samad, Minister of Justice, said that he had more than 60 years to implement policies.
"You've had more than 60 years, you should try it now, if you had any good ideas, it should have been implemented.
"I can not comment further on (Barisan) policies because I did not have the time to read and discuss," he said to reporters.
Barisan's first alternative budget, unveiled by Khairy Jamaluddin, who holds the shadow finance ministry portfolio, said the proposal to reintroduce the GST was because of the SST had failed to bring about.
The GST, which was abolished by the Pakatan government, was fixed at 6% during Barisan's administration.
The Rembau also said that one of the biggest problems with the SST is leakage, which was admitted by the government during its repetition to the GST bill.
Among the other pledges in Barisan's shadow budget, titled "People's Economic Initiative", includes the reintroduction of the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) payout with a special system to reach targeted groups, a soda tax rate of RM0.25 for each liter of soda, the restructuring of levy for foreign workers, the introduction of carbon tax and the plastic bag tax.
Khairy also said that Barisan would revive its mega projects including the East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project to boost the local economy.
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