PAS rejects GST because it burdens the people - President

PAS and Pakatan Rakyat has rejected the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST ) as it is a form of tax that unfairly burdens people in the low-income category, said PAS president Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

While debating the 2014 Budget in parliament yesterday, Abdul Hadi who is also Member of Parliament for Marang said that although the Prime Minister had announced items as budu, cencalok and tempoyak as tax exempt, the making these food items required other ingredients such as salt and sugar, fuel would also be used to transport these products.

Abdul Hadi said it was important for the the nation's leaders to be fair while imposing a tax on the people, referring to Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz, who refused a governor's request to raise taxes to cover the country's finances.

"He (Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz) then said in a letter (to the governor), 'be fair or you will be fired ' , " he said.

According to Abdul Hadi, tax may be imposed on the people, but it must be conducted fairly as the zakat was imposed on the rich and not the poor while kharaj was imposed on non-Muslim citizens.

" Zakat can not be eliminated but taxes (on the people ) and kharaj (on non-Muslims) can be abolished when a country is financially sufficient. This is the concept of fairness, " he said. - ES