Abolishing GST possible if country's wealth is properly managed: PAS

SHAH ALAM: Abolishing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is possible if the country's wealth is managed properly without leakages, said Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
The PAS president said the country would be in a better financial position today had the federal government managed its wealth better, and that the tax, which was implemented in April 2015, would not have been necessary.
"If the country's wealth was handled properly, and there were no leakages or wasteful projects, surely there are taxes that we can do away with," he said during a Gagasan Sejahtera youth dialogue, here, today.
Abdul Hadi was explaining on the proposal by the coalition — comprising PAS, Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan), Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) — to remove GST in its recently-released manifesto, should it gain federal power.
The Marang MP claimed that taxes were not necessary unless the government was in an economic emergency, and that leaders who resort to taxes are those who are unfit to lead the country.
"But is Malaysia currently going through an economic emergency?" he questioned.
Citing the era of Islamic civilisation, Abdul Hadi also pointed that there had been Muslims governments in the past that had cut their taxes in the event they have financial and resources in abundance.
He added that to cushion the impact of abolishing the GST, upper class citizens and businesses would be required to be taxed the most based on their wealth.
He said history has also proven that the rich would not complain should their taxes be increased, as compared to implementing a tax across the board on all citizens.
Abdul Hadi, however, maintained that Muslims would still have to pay for zakat should PAS come into power, as they are different from taxes, and would be rewarded in the hereafter.