Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 10.5.2015
BN Penang Chair Teng Chang Yeow and BN Penang should publicly apologise for lying that state government’s dervelopment projects and services are not subjected to the 6% Goods and Services Tax (GST). During the Perrmatang Pauh by-election, Teng had attacked me for making false claims in my statement that GST has resulted in the state government, local authorities and state agencies being forced to fork out a total of RM48 million – of which RM46.3 million is GST and the remaining RM1.7 million administrative costs incuured from collecting and paying the GST.
Teng claimed that the state government need not pay such a high GST. Teng and BN is clearly lying when the Johor Sultan expressed his displeasure that the public or the state government has to pay GST for government services and works provided to the public. Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Iskandar said it was not logical to impose GST because it was their duty to provide free services to the taxpayers and not fair for taxpayers to pay GST, because they are already being taxed for other products and services.
The Sultan directed the state government and local councils to seek exemption from the federal government for (GST) on their services to the public. The Penang state government had written to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak seeking exemption from paying GST, as we are not business entities making a profit. It is ridiculous that state government building roads, drains, halls or works for public benefit has to pay 6% GST.
Unfortunately there is no reply from the Prime Minister. I had stressed that this imposition of 6% GST on state government is a huge burden that affects all 13 state governments in Malaysia. Instead Teng claimed that this is not the case and accused me of misrepresenting the situation. Now the Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin had announced that they were seeking exemption from the Customs Department and the Federal government.
By trying to win the Permatang Pauh by-election with such dirty tactics, it is clear that BN and UMNO have not only lost in the by-election but also lost their honour and dignity. It is fortunate that during the recent Permatang Pauh by-election, PKR’s Dato Seri Wan Azizah bin Wan Ismail won handsomely, proving that voters were not easily tricked by the deceit of BN and UMNO.
PKR’s Dato Seri Wan Azizah bin Wan Ismail would have won by a landslide victory that would easily double her majority of 8,841, if news of the fishy land deal between 1MDB and Lembaga Tabung Haji was exposed before the polling day. This land deal has greatly agitated Muslims who are unhappy how Lembaga Tabung Haji’s funds are being used for 1MDB.
LIM GUAN ENG
—-Mandarin —
槟州首席部长林冠英于2015年5月10日在乔治市发表声明：
邓章耀及槟州国阵应该要公开道歉，他们撒谎说州政府的发展项目及服务不受消费税（GST）影响。
槟州国阵主席邓章耀及槟州国阵应该要公开道歉，他们撒谎说州政府的发展项目及服务不受消费税（GST）影响。在峇东埔选期间，邓章耀说我发表虚假宣言，指消费税迫使州政府、地方政府及政府机构需支出4800万令吉来征收及缴付消费税，其中4630万令吉是消费税，而剩下的是170万令吉行政费用。
邓章耀说州政府不必支付如此高额的消费税。邓章耀及国阵在说谎，柔佛州苏丹也表达了他不满公众或州政府必须为政府的服务及工作支付消费税。苏丹依不拉欣也说，服务公众是政府的责任，向纳税人征收消费税是不公平的，因为纳税人已经支付了其它商品及服务的消费税。
苏丹也指示州政府及地方政府向联邦政府要求豁免向公众征收消费税。槟州政府也已经写信给首相拿督斯里纳吉，要求豁免消费税，因为我们不是赚钱的商业机构。如果州政府筑路、造渠、兴建礼堂或其它让人民受惠的公共工程都需要支付6%消费税是非常荒谬的。
不幸地是，首相方面还没有回应。我已经强调，6%消费税对州政府而言是庞大的负担，影响了全国13个州政府。反之，邓章耀却声称不是这么一回事，还诬蔑我错误诠释。现在柔佛州州务大臣拿督莫哈末卡立诺丁已经宣布，他们正向关税局及联邦政府申请豁免权。
为了赢得峇东埔补选使出肮脏伎俩，很明显的，国阵及巫统不只输了补选，也输了他们的尊严。幸运的是，在峇东埔补选期间，公正党主席拿督斯里旺阿兹莎赢得非常漂亮，证明选民不会轻易地被国阵及巫统欺骗。
如果一马机构及朝圣基金局的可疑交易在投票日前被揭发，相信公正党拿督斯里旺阿兹莎可以获得比8841张多一倍的多数票。这起土地交易已经惹火了很多穆斯林，他们对于朝圣基金局被用在一马机构感到非常不满。
林冠英