Zahid says Cabinet to rethink SST on imported fruits like apples, oranges, to avoid weighing down low wage earners
He noted that the fruits are not produced locally but are fully imported, and therefore the tax should be reconsidered before imposing a rate of between five and 10 per cent.
'I believe it is reasonable for (the new SST rate on certain goods) to be reviewed and I think there will be an adjustment for certain materials to be categorised for tax at five to 10 per cent.
'(But) don't take that conclusively,' he told reporters after officiating the Community Development Department (Kemas) Teachers' Day Celebration here.
Earlier, Mydin Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin Mohamed described the move to impose SST on imported fruit as unreasonable, saying it would also affect low-income consumers.
Responding to this, Ahmad Zahid said the views raised by Ameer Ali should be brought to the Cabinet meeting, as the issue concerns public access to imported fruits.
'The revenue from fruit tax to the country is not that high. So if SST is imposed, the price will increase.
'I know the purpose (of imposing SST on imported fruits) is to protect local fruits but we do not produce apples and mandarin oranges. I am sure the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy are also looking into the matter,' he said.
On June 9, the government announced a targeted SST review set to take effect from July 1, 2025.
The sales tax rate will remain unchanged for essential goods, while a five or 10 per cent rate will be applied to non-essential or discretionary goods.
The scope of service tax has also been expanded to cover six new categories: rental or leasing, construction, finance, private healthcare, education, and beauty. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Office closed when delivering defamation letter of demand? Well, I was attending grandpa's funeral, Steven Sim tells PAS man
BUKIT MERTAJAM, July 4 — Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim Chee Keong has accused a PAS leader of attempting to politicise his absence from his service centre yesterday, claiming it was a deliberate move to paint the centre as non-operational. Sim said there was already a notice saying the centre was closed for the whole day yesterday — which he explained due to the passing of his grandfather, whose funeral was held that day and attended by his staff. 'While my family was grieving the loss of our beloved grandfather, this PAS leader saw fit to exploit the situation for political gain,' he posted on Facebook, referring to Sungai Buloh PAS chief Zaharudin Muhammad. Sim said otherwise his doors are always open to the constituency regardless of the racial, religious or political background — with even PAS members coming to seek assistance. 'We had already put up a notice informing the public that the service centre would be closed on July 3. The notice even included four contact numbers in case of emergencies. 'So, either the PAS leader couldn't read Malay, or he was deliberately attempting to create a malicious perception,' he suggested. Zaharudin, who is the son-in-law of PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, said yesterday that he had attempted to serve a letter of demand to Sim for alleged defamation. Zaharudin is reportedly seeking RM1.5 million in damages over Sim's remark against him over the promotion of a Chinese officer in the Malaysian Armed Forces. Sim said that regardless, no such letter was found at his office even this morning, and welcomed Zaharudin to settle the matter in court, attaching a Malay pantun as a response. Last week, Sim had stood firm on his accusations against Zaharudin, whom he had called racist for a remark on Malaysian Armed Forces lieutenant-general Datuk Johnny Lim Eng Seng. Lim's promotion had marked a historic milestone, as he became the first ethnic Chinese officer to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general in the armed forces. In response, Zaharudin had speculated that Malaysia's 50th prime minister in 2058 could be a Chinese individual, framing the scenario as a possible outcome of Lim's promotion. The post, which also compared the Malaysia's immigration policies to the Zionist settlement of Palestine, was then deleted. Islamist party PAS has since said it does not support the social media post by one of its leaders on the promotion, saying it was the personal opinion of the individual involved and 'entirely contrary' to PAS' policies and values.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Decision on Rosmah's bid to recuse judge from corruption trial scheduled for Sept 10
PUTRAJAYA, July 4 — The Court of Appeal has fixed September 10 to deliver its decision on Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's appeal to recuse a High Court judge who presided over her corruption trial involving the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project in Sarawak. Court of Appeal deputy registrar Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rosli set the date during the case management today. On June 25, the Court of Appeal three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, Datuk Azman Abdullah and Datuk Noorin Badaruddin reserved their judgment after hearing submissions from both the prosecution and defence. Rosmah's lawyer, Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, confirmed the date when contacted by Bernama. The wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is appealing against the decision by the then High Court judge, Mohamed Zaini Mazlan — who has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal — dismissing her application for his recusal from presiding over her case. Rosmah filed the recusal application at the eleventh hour before Judge Mohamed Zaini was slated to deliver his decision on September 1, 2022. The application was based on allegations that a draft judgment in her case, purportedly prepared by a third party, had been leaked before its official delivery. On the same day, Judge Mohamed Zaini found Rosmah, 73, guilty of three corruption charges linked to the hybrid solar project, and sentenced her to 10 years in prison and a RM970 million fine, in default 30 years in prison. However, she was granted a stay of execution on both the custodial sentence and the fine, pending the disposal of her appeal before the Court of Appeal. Rosmah was charged with one count of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving RM6.5 million in bribes from former Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director, Saidi Abang Samsudin. — Bernama
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
North-South Expressway southern corridor widening project to begin on July 28, PLUS assures no traffic disruption
JOHOR BARU, July 4 — PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) in a statement today said the additional lane construction project on the North-South Expressway's (NSE) southern corridor involving the widening of the number of lanes from two to three for the Sedenak to Simpang Renggam route (Phase Two), over a distance of 17 kilometres, is expected to commence on July 28. It said the implementation period for the works will take 36 months, with the contract for the additional lane construction project awarded to a local contractor after undergoing an open tender process. 'However, when the preliminary work on this route is carried out, it will not disrupt the flow of traffic because the two existing lanes in both directions of the affected highway will remain open to all vehicles,' said the statement. According to the highway operator company, the project is being implemented in phases, starting with Phase One (Senai Utara to Sedenak), followed by Phase Two (Sedenak to Simpang Renggam) and Phase Three (Simpang Renggam to Machap). The statement also said that the NSE widening project on the Kulai to Sedenak route (Phase One Package A), which began in July last year, is reported to be progressing smoothly according to schedule, while preliminary works for the Kulai to Senai Utara route (Phase One Package B) have also begun on site. 'The high-impact project is expected to benefit nearly 90,000 daily highway users and is hoped to act as a catalyst for more vibrant socio-economic development in the surrounding areas such as Sedenak, Kulai, Senai, Iskandar Malaysia and Pagoh,' according to PLUS. This effort is a government initiative to address the congestion on the NSE in the southern corridor, which often occurs during peak hours, and is aimed at providing a smoother journey for highway users in the future. Overall, PLUS said that the construction of this additional lane project is for the people's welfare and the economic development of the country. — Bernama
