KUALA LUMPUR, March 6, 2020: With the political situation gradually stabilised, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government must now place economic stimulus and fighting coronavirus (Covid-19) as its top priority, said The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong).
Huazong president Tan Sri T.C Goh was especially concerned that the recent increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country may further devastate the economy. He thus hoped that the government could put in its best efforts to stimulate the economy.
“We are absolutely convinced that the prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will appoint the best and most qualified candidates for such important portfolios like finance (Economy), healthcare etc, to assist the government to enhance the economy and to fight and prevent the Covid-19 outbreak in the country,” he said in a statement issued today.
He said this while welcoming Muhyiddin’s recent call to all government departments and agencies to expedite the execution of the Budget 2020 and economic stimulus package.
Goh acknowledged that the RM20 billion economic stimulus package which was announced by the former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in late last month, is a practical scheme that could help stimulate the economy of Malaysia in the short term. He thus welcomed the present government’s decision to retain and to implement the said scheme, describing it as an encouraging move in the right direction.
“The economic stimulus package is aimed chiefly to mitigate the devastating impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, especially on tourism and related industries. In view of the worsening trend of the epidemic, it is absolutely urgent that we must expedite the execution of the economic stimulus package, before the situation gets worse,” he said.
Goh who is also the president of the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) also opined that the new government should better evaluate the current situation and to make necessary improvement to the economic stimulus package, so that it would be more ‘flexible-and-effective’.
Meanwhile, on UMNO supreme council member Armand Azha Abu Hanifah’s suggestion that the Goods and Service Tax (GST) be reintroduced at 3% to replace the existing Sales and Services Tax (SST), Goh said that such a proposal requires a proper-and-thorough deliberation with all parties concerned.
He nonetheless opined that such a proposal is worth considering if the GST were to completely replace the SST, and the rate be reduced to 3%, instead of 6% as implemented when it was first introduced.
Notwithstanding, he maintained that whatever proposal that bounds to have a far-reaching impact on the people, it should be properly-and-thoroughly studied by the government and the Ministry of Finance, besides consulting the peoples’ views.-pr/BNN
