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Mahathir Mohd Rais
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April is about to be the month when most Malaysians’ lives change into a new type of dictatorship, which fully focuses on how their wallets will be dictated through the taxes charged from online shopping.
The reason for the above statement is due to the collection of a new sales tax that will be collected by Putrajaya, according to the latest news released.
All online shoppers that are looking for great deals, whether it’s for everyday use, important personal items, or luxury items, know that you will be taxed 10 percent of the amount purchased, specifically if the amount does not exceed RM500.
Even though 10 percent does not seem like much, it will still cause a great amount of worry to the people who uses online purchases as their main way of buying items that they want.
Know that most online purchases are way cheaper than real-life purchases.
Additionally, the online world is about to be the next big thing.
People should be allowed to enjoy the benefits, not be burdened by them.
The argument might be on how these charges are only meant for overseas low-valued goods but note that these goods are often only able to be purchased through countries like China, Japan, and the USA.
The overseas shipping fees, internal delivery fees, and even the additional charges already cost a whole lot to the people, and now the implementation of this tax is just going to increase the burden on our people.
Ironically, based on the article titled, ‘New Tax: From April 2023, Malaysians to pay extra 10 per cent for online overseas shopping below RM500,’ by Malay Mail, these tax charges won’t apply to alcohol and cigarettes.
How is this fair?
Substances that cause significant danger to the people are exempted from the tax charges, while some innocent items that would contribute to the betterment of an individual’s lifestyle, are charged such a huge amount.
Is this truly where Malaysia is heading to?
I believe that instead of charging the innocent people of our country, perhaps the charges could go to specific products and big companies.
The issue isn’t necessarily about the tax itself, it’s about where the charges are going, and how it might benefit the people in any way.
I believe that such an issue must be rechecked by the government to ensure that all parties get what they deserve.
I truly hold on to the idea that the burden imposed on the people should be lessened in many ways.
About the author: Mahathir Mohd Rais (pictured above) is the Information Chief of National Alliance (Perikatan Nasional) Federal Territories. This is an opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of this publication.
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