越弱势就越早被淘汰？

陈亚伦（左一）全家福：摄于内孙女三个月生日

作者：陈亚伦

        2015年预算案，美其名40万令吉以下的产业，政府每个月补贴两百令吉为期三年，可是这些重惨阶级是否负担得起是另作别论！房产价格最近三年忽然“突飞猛进”，令许多社会新鲜人措手不及。我国每年从大学毕业出来的以10万人数计，毕竟职业岗位是很现实的。即说，市场经济好，许多人就可以觅得工作，但若经济缓慢，真的要望天开饭了！

        根据英文报纸报道，大学毕业社会新鲜人，应徵工作职业被询问薪水的要求时，普遍的要求是2千500百令吉。这是指一般没有工作经验的应征者。七年前我的儿子从大学毕业，头一份工作只敢要求1千800块。跟父母住，用父母的车，他只勉强够用。基于生活费高涨，新鲜人要求起薪2千500令吉并不为过，但他们许多这些应徵者不获得此数目，感叹！

        即使三年前房产没大幅度飙升时，月入五千根本买不起一所20万块钱的房子，跟甭说现在提的40万令吉的房产。政府以此为最高界限，因为现在发展商建造的40万令吉的房产乃等同三年前的那般。夫妇每月总收入一万令吉或许才获得银行有条件贷款一所20万令吉房子！通常银行只贷给你70%以下，甚至是属于DINK族群，即 Double Income No Kids（双薪又没孩子的）。只要有一个孩子，家庭月入约须1万5千令吉！两个孩子的话，月入两万都不够。因为除了须缴一大笔税外，孩子的教育费即接着来。所以他们不是重惨阶级是什么？

        目前，不出六个月时间政府即实行消费税了！它对民生肯定有冲击，只是程度乃是个未知数。官员经常把我们与邻国新加坡作比较。但殊不知新加坡一些主要条件都比我们优越，譬如它的币值高，人均收入高，及公共交通四通八达等。新加坡人能吃得到S$3.00的一肉两菜的饭，我们能够吃RM3.00同样的东西吗？

        最近，马来西亚国际工商会执行董事长指出，马来西亚的国内生产总值比韩国落后19年，他没提到新加坡，不过基于新加坡比韩国好，我国岂不比新加坡落后更远吗？新加坡人付7%消费税，但其经济持续蓬勃。我们不是反对消费税，乃是在实行的同时，我们有什么策略确保国家经济增长吗？我国的经济命脉是系在中小型企业上，消费税实行，它们的成本增加，而人民若减少消费加上出口优越条件被削弱的情况下，它们是首当其冲的受害者！它们夸，即带来不利的骨牌效应，因此政府必须有策略让它们提升竞争力。

        还剩下这么短时间就实行消费税，人民和商家仍然面对很模糊的概念，各行各业还不晓得它们的货物和服务是否归纳缴税范畴。譬如，到目前为止，政府还没明确的宣布一旦车辆征消费税，向来车辆被征抽的货物税（Excise duty）是否被取消？抑或是双重税？政府没有明确的答案前，我们不要看到一些部长在夸口新车价格将降1-3%！

        小型杂货店在疑惑是否被列为征抽领域伙伴的同时，政府已经派人逐家商店分发GST表格，最近我平常光顾的老板收到表格向我诉苦，问我怎办？我很明了她只挣三餐养家。有人告诉我，很多小型杂货店都打算结束营业算了。唉，社会真的很现实，你越弱势，就越早被淘汰！生活越来越难过，我却想到圣经有这样的话作安慰：“求上帝袮不要使我贫穷，不要使我富裕，只需给我需用的食物，免得我吃饱了，就不认袮，说 ’耶和华是谁？’ 又恐怕我贫穷，就偷窃，污渎了我上帝的名。”我晓得这里的“不贫穷”和“不富裕”的意思是“一无所缺，福杯满溢！”

-----------------------------------------------------

此文章也刊登于《星洲日报》的“言路版”：

http://opinions.sinchew.com.my/node/34447?tid=38

陳亞倫‧越弱勢就越早被淘汰？

2014-10-23 10:20

2015年預算案中，美其名40萬令吉以下的產業，政府每個月補貼200令吉為期三年，可是人們是否負擔得起是另作別論！房產價格最近三年“突飛猛進”，令許多社會新鮮人措手不及。我國每年大學畢業生以10萬人數計，畢竟職業崗位是很現實的，即說市場經濟好，許多人就可以覓得工作，但若經濟緩慢，真的要望天開飯了！

根據英文報報道，大學畢業社會新鮮人，應徵工作被詢問薪水要求時，普遍的要求是2千500令吉。這是指一般沒有工作經驗的應徵者。7年前我的兒子從大學畢業，頭一份工作只敢要求1千800令吉。跟父母住，用父母的車，他只勉強夠用。基於生活費高漲，新鮮人要求起薪2千500令吉並不為過，但他們許多這些應徵者不獲得此數目，感歎！

即使三年前房產沒大幅度飆升時，月入5千根本買不起一所20萬塊錢的房子，更甭說現在提的40萬令吉的房產。政府以此為最高界限，因為現在發展商建造的40萬令吉房產乃等同三年前的那般。夫婦每月總收入一萬令吉或許才獲得銀行有條件貸款一所20萬令吉房子！通常銀行只貸給你70%以下，甚至是屬於DINK族群，即Double Income No Kids（雙薪又沒孩子的）。只要有一個孩子，家庭月入約須1萬500令吉！兩個孩子的話，月入兩萬都不夠。因為除了須繳一大筆稅外，孩子的教育費即接著來。

目前，不出6個月時間政府即實行消費稅了！它對民生肯定有衝擊，只是程度乃是個未知數。官員經常把我們與鄰國新加坡作比較。但殊不知新加坡一些主要條件都比我們優越，譬如它的幣值高，人均收入高，及公共交通四通八達等。

最近，馬來西亞國際工商會執行董事長指出，我國國內生產總值比韓國落後19年，他沒提到新加坡，不過基於新加坡比韓國好，我國豈不比新加坡落後更遠嗎？新加坡人付7%消費稅，但其經濟持續蓬勃。我們不是反對消費稅，乃是在實行的同時，我們有甚麼策略確保國家經濟增長嗎？我國的經濟命脈是繫在中小型企業上，消費稅實行，它們的成本增加，而人民若減少消費加上出口優越條件被削弱的情況下，它們是首當其衝的受害者！因此政府必須有策略讓它們提昇競爭力。

還剩下這麼短時間就實行消費稅，人民和商家仍然面對很模糊的概念，各行各業還不曉得它們的貨物和服務是否歸納繳稅範疇。譬如，到目前為止，政府還沒明確的宣佈一旦車輛征消費稅，向來車輛被征抽的貨物稅（Excise duty）是否被取消？抑或是雙重稅？政府沒有明確的答案前，我們不要看到一些部長在誇口新車價格將降1-3%！

小型雜貨店在疑惑是否被列為征抽領域夥伴的同時，政府已經派人逐家商店分發GST表格，最近我平常光顧的老闆收到表格向我訴苦，問我怎辦？我很明瞭她只掙三餐養家。有人告訴我，很多小型雜貨店都打算結束營業算了。唉，社會真的很現實，你越弱勢，越早被淘汰！生活越來越難過，我卻想到聖經有這樣的話作安慰：“求上帝你不要使我貧窮，不要使我富裕，只需給我需用的食物，免得我吃飽了，就不認你，說｀耶和華是誰？’又恐怕我貧窮，就偷竊，污瀆了我上帝的名。”我曉得這裡的“不貧窮”和“不富裕”的意思是一無所缺，福杯滿溢！

【相關新聞請點大事件：徵收消費稅】

（星洲日報／言路‧作者：陳亞倫‧）

點看全文: http://opinions.sinchew.com.my/node/34447?tid=38#ixzz3GvvWMH67 
Follow us: @SinChewPress on Twitter | SinChewDaily on Facebook

Don't force GST on the people to fund your Maharaja lifestyle - Anwar warns Najib

Wednesday, 19 June 2013 11:39

Written by  Malaysia Chronicle

UPDATED VIDEO INSERTED Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim warned Prime Minister Najib Razak not to introduce a new Goods and Service Tax (GST) to reduce the budgetary deficit after the latter announced the formation of a special committee to look into ways to reduce the shortfall - at a record high - to 3% bt 2015.

"Unfortunately, Dato Seri Najib continues to govern behind a veil of secrecy," Anwar told a press conference on Wednesday.

"The BN government must not drag the public to cover for its economic incompetence and policy shortfalls. Any attempts to introduce a new GST albeit in stages to reduce the deficit will be resisted in the same force that the people had resisted electoral fraud."

Anwar was referring to the Black 505 rallies, a people's movement spearheaded by the Pakatan Rakyat to protest vote rigging and fraud in the May 5 general election. The hugely successful rallies have drawn more than half a million Malaysians to assemble to demand the resignation of the Election Commission leadership.

Just PM's Office alone - RM4 BILLION a year?

The 64-year-old Anwar also chided Najib for his 'free-spending' ways, challenging the latter, who is also the Finance Minister, to refute the Opposition's estimate that just the prime minister's office alone spent at least RM4 billion a year on "huge entourages and thousands of personnel".

"The minister concerned has alluded to the fact that they need RM27 billion in extra revenue or the deficit problem will remain. Our position differs completely with the BN's. Our position is consistent in that you must start with transparent policies, which means you save billions, stop excessive spending, reduce the exorbitant excessive expenditure of the Prime Minister's Office, the huge entourage, thousands of personnel and that would already be in the billions," said Anwar.

"In fact, our initial estimate is that at least RM4bil alone (in budget allocation) is for the Prime Minister's Maharaja-type of expenditure. And I would challenge him to refute this, which is unprecedented throughout all my experience as Finance Minister and the history of this country."

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution was also present at the press conference.

Hardship to the people as wage growth has been weak

According to Anwar, GST could only be introduced if the average level of income of "common Malaysians" have risen significantly over a period of 5 years, otherwise it would bring hardship to the working classes. He pointed to the fact that the current wage reality in Malaysia was that only a "low 2.6% average wage growth" had been achieved between 2000 and 2010.

"In 10 years, the wage increase was only 2.6%. Given that scenario, it is unacceptable to imagine the government would introduce additional taxes, GST for example. So what we are saying is stop the wastage first. We are talking about RM20 to 30 billion of commissions and bribery, extraneous spending. Look at the Auditor-General's report, this must be addressed first.

"Dato Seri Najib does not have the full legitimacy in terms of popular votes, and he has not been able to deliver the most basic of his economic promises since being sworn in recently. That fact that his administration struggles to reduce car prices as promised in his manifesto exemplified he incompetence and hopelessness of his administration."

Anwar also took Najib to task for failing to keep pre-election promises of cheaper cars and affordable homes. He warned that the Pakatan Rakyat would be monitoring runaway property prices closely and would expect to see prices come down by at least 10%.

"We shall track the BN government's performance on public housing closely and will consider it a failure if he cannot bring down the average prices of mid-range housing by at least 10% in the next one year," said Anwar.

Source: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=116131:dont-try-to-introduce-gst-and-force-the-people-to-fund-your-maharaja-lifestyle-anwar-warns-najib&Itemid=2

GST a ploy to hide economic ills, says Pakatan Rakyat

By Lee Wei Lian

September 27, 2012

Idris said GST will help boost state revenue. — File pictures

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Putrajaya’s desire to implement the goods and services tax (GST) in the future is an easy way get more money and divert attention away from economic problems such as inefficiency and corruption, says Pakatan Rakyat (PR)

While the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is not expected to introduce the GST till after the general election, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala was quoted in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that he expects the proposed GST to help boost state revenue and help put an end to the federal budget deficit by 2020.

PKR’s strategy chief Rafizi Ramli said Malaysia did not meet the conditions for the introduction of GST and it was being used as a “shortcut” to reduce the budget deficit instead of addressing fundamental flaws in the country’s economy.

“GST is a red herring to cover those economic weaknesses,” Rafizi told The Malaysian Insider.

He noted that if the ruling coalition instead stamped out rent-seeking activities, corruption and cronyism it would boost economic growth which would in turn boost government income.

Rafizi also noted that in other countries, GST was used as a substitute tax, meaning that income tax would be cut if the consumption tax was implemented which amounts to the net effect of the new tax being neutral.

He pointed out however that if it was implemented in Malaysia, the net effect would be an additional tax burden on large numbers of Malaysians whose earnings currently fall below the taxable income threshold.

Rafizi said GST would be an additional tax burden on large numbers of Malaysians.

Rafizi said that based on PKR’s means testing, which involved evaluating the size of the economy, government revenue and people’s income levels, Malaysia was a poor candidate for GST at the moment.

“There are pre-requisites for GST, you can’t implement as you wish,” he said.

DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua said that while GST was supposed to broaden the tax base as only an estimated 10 per cent of Malaysians currently pay income tax, the question that needed to be asked was why were so many Malaysians earning so little as to fall below the taxable threshold.

He said that even if 10 per cent out of the people who are not currently paying tax are tax dodgers, GST still would not make sense as it meant that many more low-income Malaysians would be burdened.

“If they can’t earn enough, why should they be burdened with additional taxes,” he said. “People’s incomes have not increased significantly.”

Pua also said that there was little risk of a sense of entitlement developing among those who do not currently pay income tax.

He also questioned what the government would do with extra income earned from GST.

Pua said BN should look at cutting expenditure, getting value for money, open tenders and abolishing corruption as ways to save money rather than imposing more taxes.

“Has the government exhausted all the means?” he asked. “If they have not there is no need to impose new taxes.”

He said that getting more funds from taxes will not solve the problem of the deficit if leakages are not plugged.

The DAP lawmaker also warned that once GST was in place, rises in the tax were almost inevitable.

He said that GST was a “lazy” approach to solving the country’s revenue issues and PR’s approach was to cut wasteful expenditure and leakages as well as increase revenue through non-tax avenues.

Pua wanted to know what the government would do with extra income earned from GST.

These include land sales through open bidding and increased revenues from government-linked companies (GLCs).

“We believe we can balance the federal budget without GST,” he said.

Malaysia has been running a budget deficit since 1998 and stated its intention to implement GST several times since approving the law in 2009 but has always postponed the new tax, which has some 3,000 exemptions.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in September last year that GST would be introduced “probably after the next general election.”

He said then that GST needed to be properly explained to the people and that there was a growing acceptance that the broad-based consumption tax was the way forward for Malaysia.

Many economists have said that Malaysia has some of the weakest financials in Asia and needs to shore up its revenue base and one of the ways was via the GST.

The Najib administration has aimed to bring the deficit down to 4.7 per cent this year from 5.4 per cent last year.

The government said that it expects to collect revenue of more than RM200 billion this year, exceeding its initial target of RM187 billion thanks largely to enhanced tax collection.

Operating expenditure however was also revised upwards and was reflected in a RM13.8 billion supplementary budget tabled in June and RM2.2 billion worth of civil servant bonuses in August.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/gst-a-ploy-to-hide-economic-ills-says-pakatan/