YOURSAY ‘When you see a PM-cum-finance minister all smiles prior to a budget presentation, despite the nation being heavily in debt...'

Najib unveils Budget 2014, announces GST

your say, YoursayCiViC: Inflation rate to remain low, between two and three percent but minimum wage, increase of petrol and the goods and services tax (GST) alone will cause inflation higher than that.

Per capita income for 2014 expected to reach RM34,126, but that doesn't mean anything when wealth/income disparity is not addressed.

A sum of RM700 million to build new air traffic control and management system at the KL International Airport (KLIA). This is to replace the existing one in Subang - the Subang airport is exclusive to certain airlines only, so what is their contribution to this?

And the biggest so far: Internet speed to be increased to 10 Mbps in major towns. We are moving into 2014 and are just looking to increase to 10 Mbps and that is only for "major towns"! Are we not moving backwards?

NewMalaysia: When you see a prime minister-cum-finance minister all smiles prior to a budget presentation, despite the nation being heavily in debt, it's definitely bad news for the people. You know that someone will have to pay the price for the debt and that person will definitely not be him.

Senior: Auspicious date for GST - April 1, 2015. All Fools Day, is it not?

The operating expenses are way too high, development expenses way too low. Can we cut the operating expenses? Oops, I forgot. He has the biggest cabinet, biggest civil service and is the most travelled PM.

Urkidding: Operational expenditure is 82.39 percent, with less than 18 percent going for development. That's Budget 2014. The only way to curb the spending is to cut operational expenditure. Go for an austerity drive.

The cost of living for Malaysians is already high enough. If they can cut spending on operation expenditure, which represents over 82 percent of the budget, say by 20 percent, we would not need new taxes, such as GST.

Trublumalaysian: Stand-up comedian, satirist and philosopher the late George Carlin said: "The upper class keeps all the money, pays none of the taxes. The middle class pays all of the taxes and does all the work. The poor are just there to scare the s**t out of the middle class and keep them showing up at their jobs."

Retnam: A typical social contract budget. Chinese earn the money, government spends it on Malays, especially Umno Malays. So, is Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia leader P Waythamoorthy's memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the BN getting the promised RM4.8 billion? Kah, kah, kah.

AF McLaren: Why reduce the income tax? I want the honour of paying the highest tax rate. But of course, I fail to qualify every year. What's a one or two percent to the rich? One night at a karaoke joint or an overseas holiday, like my boss, is equivalent to my one year's salary.

2zzzxxx: "Salted fish, cincalok, budu, belacan" do not come under the GST, so that is a good thing. So everyone should only eat this type of food after April 1, 2015.

Changeagent: Operational expenditure RM217 billion, development costs RM46.5 billion. It costs us RM4.60 to spend on RM1 on development. Sure die. With 1.2 million civil servants, it costs us RM180,000 a year to maintain each one.

Fair Play: With GST at six percent, at least they are sending the right signal to rating agencies that the powers-that-be are serious in addressing at least some issues. But it's very bad for the rakyat, in particularly the lower income group.

Aaaargh!: Dear PM and your goons, please take all our money. We do not need this charade.

GST to start at 6pct from April 2015

Kunio: Most Malaysians earn a meagre income nowadays. Only those in government-linked companies (GLCs) and civil servants enjoy a steady income and bonus.

I worked in the real private sector, subject to rigorous key performance indicators (KPIs) and no sense of job security, and the pay is hardly enough to cover everything.

Those in power never experienced the hardship of real workers like me. They just follow the economies of other countries.Now with the GST, life is even more stressful.

James1067: ‘Cut down on wastage, stop corruption, stop abusing the Treasury and cut down on inflated projects' have been the cry for so many years but they all fell on deaf years.

GST will be felt by every consumer who uses a tooth brush, motorcycle spare parts to so many other daily needs. The kampung people also won't be exempted as 18 percent will be added, starting from the manufacturer to the wholesaler to the retailer.

Stop the abuse of the Treasury so that the public would not be abused like this.

Wira: With GST, the petrol price automatically goes up by six percent. Everything goes up by six percent, except those stuff you need to live like a beggar. I think online sales will increase tremendously as those could be exempted from GST.

AYoungMalaysian: But do we get a reduction in our personal income tax? If not the middle income group gets it both ways! The rich will be okay, the poor don't need to pay personal income tax.

SusahKes: GST means government sapu tax.

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