KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak needled Pakatan Harapan (PH) today over high living costs that purportedly did not fall despite the government zero-rating the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from June 1.
In a Facebook post today, the former prime minister and Pekan MP said he was surprised when the federal government admitted that GST was not the main reason prices of goods increased, which he said was one of the claims made by the ruling party during the 14th general election.
“I was surprised this morning when I read the statement by the PH minister, who admitted that GST was not the main cause goods prices went up, even though that was the basis of their accusations used towards the previous government before the elections,” Najib said, referring to Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
“At that time, PH did not accept our answers and had some more made fun of it. Now, PH has to swallow the truth in spite if their prior claims.”
Najib said as the prices of good had not decreased despite the zero-rated GST.
This has raised concerns that prices may rise after the Sales and Services Tax (SST) is introduced in September.
He said this would have an impact on the people, which went against the PH election manifesto that promised lower cost of living.
“This is the danger when the tax system is changed as they please when Barisan Nasional had warned them of it before GE14,” he said.
“I hope the PH government will do something to ensure these concerns do not become a reality.”
Yesterday, Saifuddin said the small drop in the price of goods was the reason why the public had yet to feel the impact of the zero-rated GST.
Saifuddin previously told Malay Mail that a study by the ministry showed that the prices of 72 per cent of consumer goods dropped by up to 13 per cent after the GST was effectively abolished from June 1.
