OPPOSITION leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has raised concerns over the potential reintroduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) amid a slew of taxes being imposed.
During the debate on the Supply Bill 2025, Hamzah (PN-Larut) pointed out that in addition to the expanding list of items under the Sales and Service Tax (SST), new taxes such as the digital services tax, low-value goods tax and high-value goods tax are also being introduced.
“Then, there is also e-invoicing, which begins on July 1, 2025. All of this is being piled upon the people. Is this not a burden?
“After we have all the different taxes, will it reach the point of GST 2.0?” he said yesterday.
Hamzah urged the government to provide clear details regarding the expansion of the items covered by the SST.
He highlighted that only salmon and avocado have been explicitly mentioned as affected by this expansion, questioning the revenue that would be generated from these items and whether a comprehensive list exists.
“Without a clear mechanism, there will be economic uncertainty, which eventually trickles down on the people,” he said.
Hamzah also urged the government to propose additional aid for those in need and pledged the support of Perikatan MPs for that purpose.
Recently, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said that GST could be reintroduced under a different name if the current administration wishes to distance itself from the previous government’s implementation of the tax.
The GST was introduced in April 2015 by then-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak but was abolished in 2018 under the Pakatan Harapan government led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
