Thursday 31 May 2018

A FEW WORRYING STATEMENTS COMING OUT FROM NEW GOVT OVER PAST WEEK


 


Hasnah Rahman


1. Tun M: Do not worry if Malaysia’s credit rating is downgraded


Why we should worry: A downgrade of our credit rating will lead to foreign investors pulling out of our share market and bonds market. This will also increase interest rates which means the country’s debt repayment cost will increase by RM10 billion per year while ordinary citizens will be hit with higher interest rates.

2. LGE: Our national debt is now RM1 trillion


Why we should worry: This is a political statement and is not true. LGE lumped our official debt together with lease payments and contingent liabilities – a move which does not comply with international standards and is inaccurate. Not only will this scare the financial markets which had contributed to our stock market dropping like a stone for days on end and our Ringgit weakening, it may be used as an excuse for PH not to deliver on its manifesto promises.

3. Tun M: The decision to cancel the HSR project is final. Singaporeans tired of their PAP govt


Why we should worry: The HSR project was one of the reasons why international agencies increased our GDP growth forecasts. Cancelling this project may mean that our GDP growth forecast will be lowered, leading to more investors scrapping plans to invest in Malaysia.

Also, the confrontational statement against Singapore and the lack of respect in unilaterally cancelling the HSR via a press conference without informing Singapore govt first can only lead to unfavourable policies by Singapore – to victimize Malaysians who work there or trade policies that are detrimental to us.

4. Ong Kiam Ming (special officer to MOF): To replace GST, we will be raising corporate taxes, ask for higher dividends from Petronas, BNM and Khazanah. Sales and Service Tax (SST) base will be expanded


Why we should worry: Increase corporate taxes at a time when our neighbours such as Thailand and Indonesia has been aggressively reducing theirs will drive away investments. Where would you rather build a new factory or start a new company? A country with higher corporate tax or a lower one?

Raiding Petronas and depending on higher oil prices which the previous BN Govt had avoided is never a good thing as global oil prices is out of Malaysia’s control. It will also starve Petronas of funds to invest in new upstream/downstream investments where the effects will only be seen 10 years or 15 years down the line.

Similarly, raiding BNM and Khazanah for funds is also not a sustainable measure. How many years can you raid them? Surely it is not a renewable source of income. Does it also mean that BNM will have to print more money which will cause inflation and devalue our currency?

The part about expanding the SST base is also worrying. GST was able to collect more money compared to SST as GST had covered more goods and services that SST did not cover.

However, expanding the SST base means SST will also cover more items – meaning prices for more items will increase in price since SST is 10% while GST is 6%.

We are back to square one in terms of cost of living!! With the only difference being we no longer know how much tax is collected on the items we buy since SST is hidden while GST charges were transparently shown in our receipts.
Folks, we have to be mindful of what is happening to our country. Changing to a new govt that we wanted does not mean we have to let our guards down.

At the end of the day, it is our purchasing power, our jobs, our investments, our economy and our futures at stake here – no matter who the govt is.
8 Comments
 
Old guard, new team conclusion disaster.
Like · Reply · 6 · 11h
 
Heng Ric · 
Works at Self-employed
...after declaring so rampantly pre–GE that the country is bankrupt, they now say that the financial position is so bad. How worse can it be? Surely this is merely to justify their inability to make good all the promises in their manisfesto. Hope they will not jeopardise the country's future by dismantling all the planned development projects just to spite/demonise BN.
Like · Reply · 11 · 11h
 
They have made unbelievable disasterous promises, now they can turn back.Tthey have to deliver their promises,otherwise,Najib will be proven to be right all the time.Cannot admit now,that they were just election promises.Let us see how the world and our corporates, assess us now and see if cost of living & prices of essential consumer products especially milk related products,start coming down.Unloading workers from the government services will also ignite similar reaction from private sector.It will have an explosive impact on households and family.Crime and corruption rates will increase. A thinking article Hasnah.
Like · Reply · 5 · 8h
 
..now thy cannot turn back...
Like · Reply · 1 · 6h
 
Square pegs in round holes.......misfits masquerading as Saviours of Nation
Like · Reply · 4 · 7h
 
:-) ( hmm you mean he ouch screwed them PAKATAN Presidential Councils YB Kit Siang, DS Dr Wan and ha ha Tn Haji Mohamad, round holes?)
Like · Reply · 1 · 7h
 
Typical rantings of an "uneducated" Malaysian. All talk of Najib robbing the country without a shred of evidence. If the "New Enlightened" Malaysians want the truth, then this article does exactly that.
Like · Reply · 6h
 
Bordering on havoc looking at Tun YAB trying hard, Sdr Hasnah
to break the 100 days promises that may nauzubi'Llah 
lead the country into POPULIST socialism stagnation
( we know where to shove the V2020 then)

PS. Yes we are past it to believe in the tooth fairy, instead convinced some GST % will in-sya-Allah be raised in future kan?

M Zin 
SS16 Subang Jaya
Like · Reply · 3 · 7h


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