GEORGE TOWN, July 13 — One hundred days into the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the question remains whether the public have accepted the tax with open hearts, or whether they have decided to live with it because they do not have a choice.

While Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek said the public had started to accept the tax just weeks after it was introduced, a study by Jobstreet.com revealed otherwise.  

The study showed 90 per cent of the workforce was facing difficulties coping with the GST, and companies had recorded a drop in sales since its implementation. 

Financial motivator Syed Abdul Aziz Al Qubra’s suggestion on "Selamat Pagi Malaysia" that those who wanted to save should try not to go home for Raya had also caused a buzz among netizens, who said it was inappropriate and unkind. 

Sao’diah Wahidin, 57, a mother of three, said she was struggling to make ends meet, and  could not rely on her savings from the Employees Provident Fund to sustain her family. 

“My son and daughter are working, but their salaries are not enough. My youngest daughter is still in school, so my husband and I have to work to maintain our livelihood,” she said.

“With education loans on their shoulders, and the rising cost of living in the city, I try not to burden them.”

Formerly an accountant with HSBC, Sao’diah said she had to cut down on her family spending, especially for the Hari Raya celebrations.

“Nobody can avoid paying tax, and though it is hard, we need to face the inevitable,” she said.

Sao’diah said she would make her own cookies for Hari Raya together with her daughter and daughter-in-law to save on costs, as prices of Raya cookies had escalated. 

“We will make cookies ourselves, and spend quality time bonding together since we have been apart,” she said.

“Our budget is tight now, and new clothes, curtains and house decorations are not important. What is important is that we use the moments we have to strengthen our family bond.”

Rosmina Mohd Yusof, 47, a mother of 11, said money had been tight for them since her husband had an accident two months ago. 

“Since my husband could not work anymore, I had to take the responsibility to be the breadwinner,” she said.

Rosmina, a cleaner at Universiti Sains Malaysia, earns extra money by making traditional ketupat palas. 

“Last year, we had a lot of orders coming in, but this year business is slow. The prices have gone up, but my income is still the same. No matter how much we try to reduce, it is still tough,” she said.