GST: Make your own cake if you can’t afford one

Harakahdaily - TS, 09 April 2014

When PAS Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin raised concern that the lower income group would need to pay more for a cake after goods and services tax (GST) is in effect next year, this was what BN’s Padang Besar MP Zahidi Abidin had to say:

“If low income, make your own cake.”

What sort of reply is this? This is called BN-style reply that Malaysians are growing to get accustomed with these days.

“This argument is similar to if you don’t agree with highway, use normal roads. This is BN-style argument,” Hanipa retorted.

Besides Hanipa, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad who was equally frustrated with Zahidi’s reply, said the latter’s response was as regressive as GST itself.

“This is what we called regressive. Now people can afford to buy cakes from the shops, after GST is implemented, they ask them not to buy at shops but bake at home.

That’s regressive. When fuel prices go up, takes bicycle. If don’t want to pay toll, go walk. That’s BN-style of thinking,” chided Khalid.

Hanipa added that Zahidi’s statement was insulting to the lower income group.

“I challenge (him) to make the same statement on TV, use the same argument, in front of the masses on TV, does he dare?” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Batu MP Tian Chua reminded that there is no escape for GST compare to its predecessor sales and services tax (SST).

“With SST, we don’t eat in hotel to avoid paying the tax, but now, even we cook or make cake at home we still need to pay GST (on the basic necessities). This is what we meant by there is no escape when we have GST,” he quipped.