Wong says GST from Sarawak not enough to buy PM's luxury jet

KUCHING, April 14, 2015.- Padungan State Assemblyman Wong King Wei today claimed to have compiled a set of statistics to show that the total collection of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Sarawak is not enough to buy  a new private jet plane for use by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

He  calculated that in the nine months between April and December this year, Sarawakians could be paying an estimated RM 291 million in GST.

Wong says GST collected from Sarawak not enough to buy jet

Compared to a RM465 million private jet which was purchased  recently, he said GST to be paid by Sarawakian this year is still not enough to buy the luxury private jet.

Wong stated: “Sarawakians work sweat, blood and tears to pay GST, and yet it is still not enough  to buy a new private jet."

He said the data has shown that the Sales and Services Tax (SST) collected in recent years have brought in an annual average of RM 17 billion for the government.

Out of this RM17 Billion, he said Sarawakians contribute an average of RM 250 million per year.

“In other words, the SST collected from Sarawakians accounted for about 1.5% of the entire country's SST revenue. Based on this 1.5%, we can calculate that between April and December this year, GST collected from Sarawakians amount to RM 291 million.”

Wong, who is also the State DAP Youth chief, noted that Najib  in recent parliamentary sitting had said that the government would collect an estimated RM23.2 billion in GST nationwide from April to December this year.

After the deduction of RM3.8 billion from exempt goods, the government will receive RM19.4 billion in GST.

“Out of this RM 19.4 Billion, it is estimated that 1.5% are GST collected from Sarawakian, which means the total of GST collected from Sarawakians this year is RM 291 million.”

“It is so clear to us that life is hard for the Rakyat, but the Government is indifference towards the people’s plight, forcing GST on the people,  causing everyone to pay taxes.

"Not only so, even business people are coerced into using their resources to levy tax for the government. This has turned business owners into tax collectors," he fumed.