Zahid calls for GE16 to be brought forward, says Umno ready to share power

Umno has urged the reintroduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at a more reasonable rate and rejected the hybrid system proposal that combines GST with Sales and Services Tax (SST). Umno's President, Zahid Hamidi, emphasized that the system should be revamped with the interests of the people, businesses, and national economic development in mind.

"Revive the GST system, no hybrid. No country uses a hybrid system," he stated during his opening remarks at the Umno General Assembly. According to Zahid, the reintroduction of GST must take into account the people's interests and be aligned with social security provisions. He stated that the national tax system is not just about increasing government revenue, but also about making it easier for businesses and supporting economic development.

"We aspire to align the people's social security, ease business operations, and develop the economy based on the strength of the Peninsula and Sarawak and Sabah," he added. The tax approach also aligns with Malaysia Blue's concept, which Umno advocates for building a more prosperous and resilient nation. Through this concept, economic progress should not be solely based on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, but also consider the revenue available to the people.

"We hope to make Malaysia a prosperous nation. We must be bold in changing the way we evaluate economic success. GDP is important, but people do not live in GDP numbers," he said. Umno wants every family to have at least a 30% surplus income after meeting basic needs, which can be used for saving, investment, and improving quality of life.

The tax system needs to be part of the efforts to build Malaysia as a nation with assets, skills, and economic resilience.