Opposition leader challenges Putrajaya to revive GST, end ‘uncertainty’

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin today alleged that the government’s hybrid taxation proposal was tacit admission that it was wrong to reject the goods and services tax (GST).

While debating the Supply Bill (Budget) 2027, Hamzah said recent proposals to incorporate elements of the consumption tax into the existing Sales and Service Tax (SST) also indicated that the latter system was lacking.

“If you want the GST, just implement the GST. Don’t leave the people waiting in uncertainty,” Hamzah said.

“This looks like it’s heading in that direction, but no one wants to actually say they want to use the GST.”

He alleged that Pakatan Harapan lawmakers in the government now were “embarrassed” to support reviving the GST due to their rejection of it previously.

First implemented at a standard rate of six per cent in April 2015 under former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the broad-based consumption tax became a central battleground in Malaysian electoral politics.

Following its historic victory in the 2018 general election, the PH administration zero-rated the GST before repealing it in favour of the current SST regime.