YOURSAY | ‘Will vegetables be next?’

SST on imported fruits pose nutritional risks, consumer groups warn

World Citizen: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has very bad advisers. As it is, consumers are already paying steep prices for imported and local fruits. Imposing this five percent sales tax will only make things worse.

On the one hand, people are encouraged to consume more fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, the ill-advised government wants to raise the price of fruits.

This is a total contradiction. The government should do everything to keep food prices down and not the other way around, because the nation needs a healthy population, not a malnourished one.

This is very basic. Food is never a luxury. It is essential unless it is of an exclusive category. Apples, oranges, and pears are not a luxury.

And what is the government doing about the high prices of local fruits? Papayas, pineapples, guavas, and durians are very expensive, and it is cheaper to eat imported apples and oranges.

This government is blind to facts and lacks people with grey matter.

Taas: Another “great” reform by the government to improve livelihood and cost of living. “Bill” the people again.

Fruits are an essential part of a daily diet and nutrient intake. So are vegetables. It does not matter if imported or locally produced.

Malaysia is a country which grows only tropical fruits, and very limited fruits are grown in higher areas of Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands.

These essential products, therefore, must be free from taxes.

Is the government going so low by going after daily necessities while going on a spending spree to protect race and religion?

Will vegetables be next?

Observer from Space: Hardworking Malaysians have time and again been pressed hard to pay more taxes to shore up a corrupt and bloated government!

It’s every citizen’s right to eat fruits that are grown within the country and imported. It looks like these are now exclusively for the elite and corrupt.

Anwar should listen and learn from Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s speech after his party’s win at the recent general election.

Specifically, he reminded his cabinet and himself that they are all servants to the citizens.

Humble Opinion: I kindly urge the government to consider removing taxes on essential fruits such as apples and oranges.

These fruits are a staple of a healthy diet and should be affordable for all Malaysians, especially ordinary families who strive to put nutritious food on the table.

By eliminating these taxes, we can promote healthier lifestyles, reduce the burden on household budgets, make fresh produce more accessible to every community across the country, and also affect the well-being of many.

BrownGoose2196: By raising imported fruit prices, the fruit sellers will automatically raise the prices of local fruits.

As it is now, a piece of guava or mango is even more expensive than a piece of apple. Inflation is definite.

All because the government wants to increase tax collections to cover large financial deficits, and the untouchables who have been squandering our money.

Mhc9b23: I don’t get it! We are trying to budget to eat as healthily as we can afford to, so some of these imported fruits are not a luxury but a necessity for our long-term health and well-being.

We’d rather eat healthy now than suffer later and pay for medical expenses.

For one, uncontrolled use of pesticides, especially in cultivating certain local fruits, is killing us.

The other option is to go for organically grown fruits and also pay a premium.

Please consider the people, our young and seniors in the family, who are trying and struggling to eat healthily before making and implementing such decisions.

Zaheed: Fruits, whether local or imported, are essential and should not be slapped with sales tax.

It is an essential foodstuff with nutrients and an essential part of keeping healthy. What is wrong with Madani?

The local suppliers have very limited items, and that is too often in short supply. The good fruits are almost always exported while the locals get the C-grade ones.

HJ Angus: All this just shows how complicated the sales and services tax (SST) is, and trying to please different folks.

A universal tax, like the goods and services tax (GST), is more efficient with all consumers having to contribute.

VioletBeetle0699: Avocado is a healthy fruit that provides a lot of nutritional benefits.

It is sad to see the government fail to realise this and make stupid statements instead.

The government will just tell you to eat palm oil, then.

OrangeBird5803: There should be SST on sugar, flour, and oil. Overconsumption of these items is killing Malaysians.

Plebeian: Malaysia has an extraction economy. Extraction from the ground and from its people.

We keep getting taxed more and more for everything, but experience no improvements in the quality of life.

Instead, what we do get in return for higher taxation is pollution and environmental degradation, abysmal urban planning, unsafe roads, a wretched public healthcare system, poorly maintained recreational facilities, horrible libraries, etc. Money going into a sinkhole.

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