'Don't mislead public with 'avocado' excuse,' Muda tells govt
Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) acting president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz slams the government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly distracting the public with misleading justifications for the new sales and service tax (SST) charges on imported basic food items.
The Puteri Wangsa assemblywoman claimed that the administration used "fact-laced deception" to justify a policy she believed will increase the burden on Malaysians.
"Do not lie to the people. I am deeply concerned when leaders weave lies into every speech and writing to defend a policy that burdens the people. To be safe, they lie. To make things easy, they twist the narrative," Amira said. Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz slams the government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly distracting the public with misleading justifications for the new SST charges on imported basic food items.
Her remarks came in response to the Finance Ministry's announcement that, starting July 1, a five per cent SST will be imposed on imported fruits and fish. She also took aim at the Prime Minister's comment.
"If the rich want to eat avocados, let them pay a little more. It is not just salmon and avocados like the Finance Minister said. Malaysia imports beef, chillies, ginger, cabbage, mangoes, coconuts and many more.
"Pisang emas, rambutans, mangoes; all are taxed," she said.
Amira added that staple fish such as mackerel, torpedo scad and anchovies would also be subjected to the tax. She argued that before pushing citizens to rely solely on local produce to avoid the tax, the government must ensure local supply can meet demand.
"So if the people are to save money and only buy local fruits and fish to avoid paying SST, is there enough local supply for everyone? Of course not.
"The core duty of a Member of Parliament (MP) is to make policies that help the people, not blindly support policies that oppress them," Amira said criticising the silence of government MPs.
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