KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has kept mum on any details regarding the new taxes under the Pakatan Harapan government, which was first hinted at by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Responding to a question by Bera MP Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Umno) in Parliament today, Lim merely told the opposition lawmaker to wait for a couple of weeks for the 2019 Budget to be tabled.

"The new taxes will be tabled during the 2019 Budget in a couple of weeks’ time. I hope Bera can wait for another two weeks like other Malaysians,” Lim said.

However he also admitted that the budget will be a "budget of sacrifice”.

Earlier, Lim said that the Sales and Services Tax (SST) had estimated a collection of RM4 billion from September 1, 2018 till December 31, 2018.

This would leave a shortfall of RM17 billion if the government had continued utilising the GST.

Ismail Sabri then argued that there was no difference between GST and SST as prices and costs of living continue to "soar” while the government had lost out on tax collection.

Lim replied saying that the Bera lawmaker have gotten his numbers wrong as the National Statistics Department had a different set of figures regarding the country’s inflation level.

"In July the inflation rate was at 0.7 and in August the rate was at 0.2 — the second lowest in Malaysian history. This is just about a month after GST (was abolished) and it reflected directly on our inflation rate,” said Lim.