Better to continue with SST, just improve on it, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pix) in his capacity as Parliamentary Caucus on Reformation and Governance chairman thinks it is better for the government to maintain the sales and service tax (SST).

“To my mind I think we should proceed with SST, improve where necessary, make necessary adjustments rather than considering to change again.

“Change is going to be a problem as seen in the last six months when SST was implemented,” he said during the question-and-answer session at the Lawasia Constitutional and Rule of Law Conference 2019, here, today.

Anwar who is also Port Dickson Member of Parliament was asked whether the goods and services tax (GST) should be reintroduced.

Without doubt, he said, GST was considered a more efficient and transparent tax system. “But everyone has to pay including the lower income group and that is not fair to them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Anwar in his speech said the rule of law and the legal profession were inseparable.

“As I have done in the past, I urge lawyers to do more public service and make legal expertise more accessible, particularly to the less fortunate, to the poor and to the marginalised.

“I have benefited tremendously from this expertise especially from the fearless advocacy conducted within the canons of service motivated by that relentless drive to fight for justice and the rule of law,” he said. — Bernama