Perspectives: Understanding GST, Our Rights, And the Real Losers in the "Successful" Anti-GST Rally

Lauded as successful, I'll be looking at the hidden cost of the rally on our people, children, and our democracy. Read on.

Despite the "Success", it's this kind of politics that both sides are breeding.
FYI, I think that the girl in purple is Chinese.

INTRODUCTION. THE ANTI-GST RALLY: CONTEXT

Picture Copyright - The Star
(http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/05/01/Photo-Gallery-May-1-anti-GST-rally/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

(6) So, the anti-GST rally took place on the 1st of May, labour day. Somehow it appears that Labour Day is a favourite when it comes to taking to the street - quite ironic considering this is a day when people are meant to rest, a day to recognise the hard work of all the good men and women of the workforce.

(7) It's nevertheless totally understandable why people protest - all the hardwork comes to naught if prices go up! We work to earn a living to live, we do not live to work.

(8) So, to many people, 50,000 according to most news website (or amazingly, 1.2 million according to a pemuda PAS tweet), this is an issue that they take to heart. It might, afterall, burn into the wallets of many.



(9) I'll state here and now that I'm still on the fence with the GST. I've been doing my own reading on the topic and cant quite form an opinion. I understand the logic of it, but still blurry on the reasons - the Government needs to be more frank about the income it expects to gain and why current income cannot sustain expenditure and rising costs.

Do we stand to earn RM27 billion more with GST?
If yes, that's a good thing.
If no, why not? Come on Pakatan, out with the answers.

(10) Here are some websites that i've frequented to make sense of it all (there are some useful FB pages as well):

(a favourite of mine) http://savemoney.my/gst-in-malaysia-how-the-goods-and-services-tax-affects-you
http://gstmalaysiainfo.blogspot.com/
http://www.kampunginvestor.com/understanding-gst-in-malaysia/

Just one of the many guides online. Give it a read.

(11) On the note above, I can see that the Government stands to earn more. With tax collection at a low (many Malaysians dont fall within the taxable income bracket and the Government has many new tax incentives), cost of maintenance and public services on the rise (due to, among others, an increasing population, urbanisation etc), it makes sense for the Government to diversify its sources of income.

(12) And let's be clear, not everything will go up. GST essentially targets products in the 'wants' category rather than the 'needs'. But that said, big-ticket items like houses will suffer, because prices of new developments will be crazy.

(13) And most importantly, the Government MUST PROTECT the consumers from sellers who pass on the tax to the end-consumer.

(14) Oh, here's a link to the official GST site (it's not very user friendly):
http://gst.customs.gov.my/en/rg/Pages/rg_con.aspx

ANTI-GST RALLY: WHY IS PAKATAN CELEBRATING?

Unfotunately we've known him for declaring premature successes...

(15) This isn't an article about the GST. Instead, it's about perspectives.

(16) Leading on, Pakatan leaders hailed the Anti-GST rally as a success. They cited the turnout as an indication of the turnout, and perhaps they are right. 

(17) As per usual, Pakatan leaders have labelled this a referendum of BN's leadership, of what the people want, that the Government isn't listening to Malaysians, etc. etc. etc. 

(18) As per usual, drama. Enough said about that.

(19) More important, I question, WHY ARE THEY CELEBRATING? 

ANTI-GST REALLY: A REAL VICTORY?

(20) I enjoy seeing people exercise their rights. But I shudder at the thought that most people dont know what they are actually exercising their rights for.

(21) Sure, the GST narrative is an easy one to pull - new tax, price increase on goods, people suffer.

(22) But as mentioned above, that isn't always the case. Essential goods are on a PRICE CONTROL LIST and are not affected.

(23) I wonder, how many actually know that? I wonder whether Pakatan's leaders even try to explain the GST, or understand it themselves. This, of course, is a stupid question for me to ask. It doesnt matter. And it's likely that they dont care too. No one has crunched the numbers. And if you ask a Pakatan leader why, they'd give the usual excuse that 'too much data is secret'. It isn't.

(24) But why do I ask this question? And this takes us to a more philosophical points. If democracy is about empowering choice, where is the legitimacy of such choice if the electorate is not empowered?

(25) On one side, you have BN supporters who support the GST. Many are ignorant of the GST but support it because it is the party's line. But am sure many more BN supporters support GST because they understand - at the very least, more so than Pakatan supporters.

(26) Am I generalizing? Or asserting? Yes. But here's how it works: BN wants to introduce GST, needs to ensure its support base understands because obviously prices will go up for certain goods, so BN works hard to ensure that people understand. PAKATAN on the other hand wont ever support GST because, well, that's politics. So there's no incentive to educate their supporters, but instead incentive to turn them against it - regardless of whether or not such decision is informed.

(27) So call me crazy, I think i'm onto something here.

(28) THE POINT I want to make is that in calling this a victory, Pakatan has missed the bigger picture - that they've lost out on the opportunity to educate their supporters and a large segment of the society. I think this is irresponsible, and this is, unfortunately, politics for the sake of it.

(29) Opposing view on issues are normal, but on something economic like this, it's all sentiment, and nothing logical, as far as the propaganda being espoused by Pakatan is concerned.

ANTI-GST RALLY: WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? 

(30) One last point I want to make is this: I dont think children should be brought to rallies.

(31) Whatever you may say: that it's meant to be peaceful, there's a carnival-like atmosphere etc. etc., I think parents who bring their children to rallies are putting them in unnecessary discomfort and danger.

(32) What happens at rallies are beyond the parent's control, and I think that this borders on negligence. There is no exercising of rights within the being of the children. And I'd just plain sad that the children are forced to be in the sun, while purportedly standing up for a cause.

(33) I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT A PAKATAN LEADER THINKS ABOUT CHILDREN BEING BROUGHT TO THE RALLY.

(34) Sorry, I guess this has riled me up more than I realise.

ANTI-GST RALLY: THERE ARE NO VICTORS, ONLY LOSERS

(35) There have been discussions on whether licenses should be issued before couples are allowed to have children. Or take an exam to certify the competency for parenthood.

(36) Perhaps people should be asked to take exams before they rally - to ensure that they are exercising their rights in an informed state.

(37) Some rights are immutable and inalienable. But sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder whether there needs to be conditions. The right to vote, for example, is such a powerful right, yet it can be exercised almost in an unfettered manner. We are so concerned about the ability to exercise that we forget about the ability to manipulate such rights.

(38) Manipulation happens easily. All it takes is emotion.

And so we get misleading, uninformative posters like this...

(39) From the anti-GST rally, there's one clear conclusion: There are only losers, and no victors. Losers to our freedoms, our knowledge, and to the exercising of our rights. 

And worse, we end up with crap like this.

(40) If this goes on, such exercising of rights will be merely illusory. Even if 10,000,000 took to the streets, it wouldn't matter any damn way if no one understood what really the issues were.

(41) Given the chance, i'd call out to our politicians and leaders, both in BN and PAKATAN to do more - Malaysians are becoming aware of their rights and want to exercise them as best as possible. Both sides have to put the politics at bay, sometimes, and educate. Dont just play the politics because that way everyone loses.

Happy Labour Day.